Photo Credit: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Tyler Herro Says Udonis Haslem Re-Signing With Miami Is Like Winning The Lottery  

While many believed Udonis Haslem would retire this off-season, he decided to come back for an 18th year and signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Heat.

This also means that when the new season tips off, the Heat legend will become only the 7th player in NBA history to play in 18 seasons with same team. The others are some of NBA history’s greatest in Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, John Stockton, Karl Malone and Reggie Miller.

But while Haslem’s on-court impact isn’t as big as it used to be, his locker room and mentoring role makes him even more important for the team. This is also what Tyler Herro confirmed when talking about how Haslem has been important for him personally and the entire Heat organization, while saying that Haslem re-signing is like winning the lottery.

Per the Players’ Tribune:

“There’s vets — and then there’s vets. I feel blessed about the circumstances that I got to come up in last year, and this culture that I got to be a part of. But blessed is one thing. Having Udonis Haslem as your Big Vet, your first season in the league?? That’s like winning the lottery. And the fact that he re-upped this offseason, and now he’s back for another year? That’s pretty much like winning the lottery twice.”