Reactions from LeBron James and Udonis Haslem after the Heat retire his jersey
Seeing Udonis Haslem’s No. 40 jersey retired by the Heat makes LeBron James very happy.
LeBron James, a former teammate of Udonis Haslem’s, praised him on Instagram after his No. 40 jersey was retired by the Miami Heat on Friday night.
From 2010 to 2014, James and Haslem played together for the Heat for four seasons. In all four of those seasons, they made it to the NBA Finals and took home two championships in 2012 and 2013.
Though Haslem was a starter on those teams with LeBron, he received a lot of criticism towards the conclusion of his career for just sitting on the bench. Although James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were undoubtedly the ones driving Miami to victory, Haslem also contributed as an enforcer and reliable role player.
Udonis Haslem’s Heat Career
Before being signed by the Heat in 2003, Haslem had to play abroad in France for a year after being undrafted in 2002. He had no idea at the moment that he would play for the Heat for 20 seasons. Neither did the Heat.
Haslem joined the Heat as a full-time starter in just his second season and helped the team win its first championship in 2006. He was named team captain by Miami during the 2007–08 season, a position he would retain until the end of his career. That was followed by two more championships in 2012 and 2013, as was previously mentioned.
Haslem’s playing time would start to decline significantly after the Big Three period in Miami. His presence in the locker room was much welcomed by the players and the franchise, so he became more of a help off the court.
The Heat would return to the Finals under Haslem in 2020 and 2023, but they would miss out on the championship both times. He ended his wonderful career by retiring following the 2023 NBA Finals. With averages of 7.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks a game, the 43-year-old left the game early.
As of right now, Haslem leads the Heat all-time in rebounds (5,791) and games played (879), ranking second. That’s a really amazing accomplishment for a guy who was not selected more than 20 years ago. He has now joined Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway Sr., Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade as the sixth Heat player to have their jersey retired.
Udonis Haslem Credited LeBron James For Teaching Him How To Extend His Career
Ten players in NBA history have played for 20 seasons, with Haslem being just one of them. What enabled him to pull that off? Haslem stated that he learned how to prolong his career from playing alongside LeBron.
“If I didn’t take specific care of my body, there’s no way at 42 that I could still be out here running, jumping, and keeping up with these guys.” Consequently, I did indeed learn that from Bron’s book.
James is definitely someone that many players might pick up some tips from. Since LeBron is currently in his 21st season in the NBA, he has even surpassed Haslem in this regard.
In the 2023–24 campaign, the 39-year-old is averaging 24.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, demonstrating his continued dominance. LeBron seems like a good bet to break Vince Carter’s record for the most seasons played, which he currently owns with 22.
