Udonis Haslem will return for his 20th NBA season. At his basketball camp in Miami, the 42 year old made the announcement.
"I have decided to follow through with what my father told me, and I will finish what I started, and I will play 20 years," Haslem said. I will play this year because I talked to my father about it. It's not going to be the same. It will not be as simple. The goal continues to be the same. Don't lose, win. It's important to win a title. Hold your head high, leave it on the line.
Miami extended Haslem's deal nearly two months ago, then waited for him to decide between retirement and returning.
Haslem admitted after the season that he was unsure if he would return for another year.
The impact Haslem's presence and leadership has on the team on a day-to-day basis has been noted many times by the coach.
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks are the only NBA players to play 20 or more seasons for one team.
Haslem is the franchise's all-time leader in rebound. This is the 11th contract he has signed with the Heat, and this is the 7th summer in a row in which he has signed with the team.
His father passed away in August of 2021. Udonis Haslem spent about two weeks away from the Heat at the start of camp and the preseason last year while grieving, and he said not having his parents still alive forced him to reexamine a lot of things in the past year.
Haslem said that even at 42 you can be confused because you don't have both of your parents. It can be hard to understand. I've been more clear than ever before. I had to get rid of the rust.
Haslem appeared in the NBA in each of the past two seasons. In 13 games with Miami, he averaged 2.5 points and 1.9 rebound. In his 19-year career, he has averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 rebound per season.
The AP contributed.
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