After 20 long seasons in the NBA, all played on his hometown team – the Miami Heat – Udonis Haslem has announced his retirement from the game.
Haslem, the 43-year-old power forward/center combo player, joined the NBA in 2003 after going undrafted in the 2002 Draft out of the University of Florida.
Haslem announced his decision in a post on his Instagram account on Friday affternoon.
’20 years…it’s impossible to put into words what these past 20 years have meant, but y’all know me. I’m damn sure gonna try,’ the post began.
‘I consider myself extremely blessed to say I can leave this game with no regrets. The championships, the accolades, the brotherhood, man it’s hard not to be at peace.
Udonis Haslem has announced his retirement after 20 NBA seasons – all with the Miami Heat
‘Undrafted to a 3x Champion, All-Rookie 2nd Team, Teammate Of The Year, the oldest player to play in an Nba Finals game, Miami Heat’s all-time leading rebounder and longest-tenured player, the list goes on…
‘Shout out to my Real #OGs, the teammates that let me be their #OG, and to my family for staying ten toes down through it all…[prayer hands emoji]
‘Although this journey has had its ups and downs, I am truly thankful and have no complaints at all… All the way down to leaving money on the table to stay in my city!! You, Miami, made it all worth it!! #three0five4life
‘I will always be the #OG, but now it’s time for the family man and the businessman to get to work…#realonesshineinthedark
‘#40, see you in the rafters soon. Until then, #OG out’
Haslem signed with the Heat in 2003 after spending a season in France. He didn’t get drafted due to his relative lack of size, but after averaging 16.1 points and 9.4 rebounds a game, the NBA came calling.
In his rookie season with the Heat, he averaged 7.3 points and 6.3 rebounds a game, leading to him being named to the league’s All-Rookie Second Team.
Within three years of his entrance to the league, Haslem was part of a team that won the NBA title led by Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.
After signing as a free agent in 2003, Haslem won his first NBA title with the team in 2006
Haslem (furthest right) won his third and fourth titles as a member of the Heat’s ‘Big Three’ era teams featuring superstars (far L to R) Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh
Haslem recently became the oldest player to appear in an NBA Finals in the 2023 series
Haslem then won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 as a key role player in Miami’s ‘Big Three’ era with LeBron James, Chris Bosh and the aforementioned Wade.
In 2012, Haslem passed Alonzo Mourning on the franchise’s list of all time top rebounders. He became the first ever non-drafted player in league history to set such a record.
As he got older, Haslem’s minutes began to drop off – even as the Heat reached the NBA Finals in 2014, 2020, and 2023. They lost all three titles.
In the 2023 NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, Haslem became the oldest player in league history to play in the championship series.
Haslem retires with the most rebounds (5,791), the second most minutes, and the seventh most points in Miami Heat history.
