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Pat Riley Emotionally Welcomes Back Udonis Haslem For 19th Season With The Miami Heat
While many believed Udonis Haslem would retire this off-season, he decided to come back for an 19th year and signed a one-year, $2.8 million deal with the Miami Heat.
This also means that when the new season tips off, the 41-year-old will become only the fifth player to spend an entire career spanning at least 19 years with one franchise. Dirk Nowitzki spent all 21 of his NBA seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Kobe Bryant spent 20 with the Los Angeles Lakers, Tim Duncan and John Stockton 19 each with the San Antonio Spurs and the Utah Jazz.
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 why Heat president Pat Riley happily and emotionally welcomed Haslem back to the franchise after officially re-signing:
“Mister Miami is back! Yes! Udonis Haslem has agreed to come back and play the game he loves so much. What he loves more than that is to be on the court teaching and competing against the World’s best. UD is a legacy player. ONE PLAYER, ONE CITY, ONE TEAM. Thank you.”
Pat Riley, “Mister Miami is back! Yes! Udonis Haslem has agreed to come back and play the game he loves so much. What he loves more than that is to be on the court teaching and competing against the World’s best. UD is a legacy player…ONE PLAYER, ONE CITY, ONE TEAM. Thank you.”
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) August 16, 2021
