Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem Confirms Retirement After This Season

Photo: Instagram/Udonis Haslem

Miami Heat's veteran player, Udonis Haslem, has confirmed that he plans to retire after this season regardless of the outcome.

Although he has played fewer than 100 minutes for the team every year since the 2017-2018 season, he has been an essential part of the team's culture and has become a pseudo-coach within the roster.

Haslem has been a rotational big man for the Heat for over a decade, but his role has evolved into something unique over the past several years.

Photo: Instagram/Udonis Haslem 

When Haslem re-signed with the Heat last offseason, he did so with the intention of making this his final season in the NBA.

Haslem stated that he believes it is time for someone else to step up and be the voice for the team's players.

The Heat will pay tribute to Haslem in the coming weeks and retire his number 40 jersey.

Haslem, who is a Miami native and played college basketball at the University of Florida, has been a fixture in the South Florida community and helped establish the team's culture.

Despite not being a superstar, he has been a significant contributor to the Heat and played a total of 20 seasons for the team without ever leaving.

Although he and the Heat faced Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals in both 2006 and 2011, Haslem will have only played for one team throughout his entire NBA career, second only to Nowitzki's 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.

Despite not playing a significant role on the court in recent years, his retirement will mark the end of an era for the Heat and their fans.

Read Next: Luka Doncic Sends Message To Devin Booker After On-Court Exchange During Suns-Mavericks Showdown

Source: CBS Sports 

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