Last night, Miami Heat gatekeeper Udonis Haslem, who was among the most popular veteran players in the NBA, had his Heat jersey retired.
The Heat’s gatekeeper spent his entire 20 season long career with the Miami Heat, and won three NBA championships (2006, 2012, 2013) in the process. Haslem joined Kobe Bryant (20) and Dirk Nowitzki (21), as the only players in history to have played 20+ season for one franchise.
Despite being a shell of his old self, the Heat had been more than willing to give Haslem a contract year after year, as they understood his importance to the team by being a respected veteran, emotional leader and a good locker room player.
“You all got the money on me crying, don’t y’all? I know you all think I’m going to cry,” Haslem said. “Yeah, it’s hard. It’s hard. It’s hard. Heat Nation, it’s been an absolute honor, man.”
