NBA veteran Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat declared Sunday that he will be retiring at the end of the season.
Haslem, who is a Miami native, played all of his 20 years in the league with the Heat and helped them win three NBA championships. The 42-year-old is currently the oldest player in the league, according to NBC Sports.
“I’m done no matter what happens. I gave my contribution. I think at this stage, there needs to be another voice for these guys. It’s time for somebody to step up and be the voice,” Haslem said Sunday during an interview with the Miami Herald.
Inside Heat’s plans to honor Haslem’s career and why Haslem is ‘done no matter what happens’ https://t.co/8wkpYRKpSa
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) March 5, 2023
Haslem will leave the game as Miami’s all-time leader in rebounds and will finish second in total games played for the club, only behind Dwyane Wade, according to NBA.com.
Miami sits in the seventh spot in the postseason standings as of Monday morning. They are dead last in the NBA this year in points per game and are three games above .500 with a record of 34-31. Haslem is averaging 7.7 minutes per game and has started in just one game. (RELATED: American David James Who Is In Chinese CBA Slams Head First Onto The Court After Dunking The Ball In Scary Scene)
Haslem would seemingly be a great fit in broadcast television after his career concludes. With 20 years of NBA experience, I’m sure he has tons of hilarious stories to share and has great insight on the game that fans can learn from. Maybe “Inside the NBA” on TNT can slide him a chair alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson after the season ends.
Whatever winds up happening, Haslem has had a hell of a career and it will be odd to see the Heat play and him not be geared up for battle.