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Udonis Haslem
Udonis Haslem (2016)
Haslem on the bench during a Heat game in April 2016.
Miami Heat
Position: Vice President of Basketball Development
League: NBA
Personal information
Full name: Udonis Johneal Haslem
Born: June 9, 1980 (1980-06-09) (age 44)
Miami, Florida
Nationality: Flag of the United States American
Physical stats
Listed height: 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight: 235 lbs (107 kg)
Career information
High school: Wolfson
(Jacksonville, Florida)
Miami Senior
(Miami, Florida)
College: Florida (19982002)
NBA Draft: 2002 / Undrafted
Playing career: 2002–2023 (21 years)
Position: Power Forward / Center
Number: 40
Career history
2002–2003 Chalon–sur–Saône (France)
20032023 Miami Heat
Career highlights and awards
Career statistics
Points: 6,586 (7.5 PPG)
Rebounds: 5,791 (6.6 RPG)
Assists: 733 (0.8 APG)
Steals: 424 (0.5 SPG)
Blocks: 252 (0.3 BPG)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball–Reference.com

Udonis Johneal Haslem (born June 9, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who is currently the Vice President of Basketball Development for the Miami Heat, where he spent his entire 20–year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Haslem played college basketball for the Florida Gators, where he was a key member of four NCAA tournament teams. Haslem began his professional career in France with Chalon–sur–Saône and then signed with his hometown Heat in 2003 and became the longest–tenured Heat player in franchise history. He has also won three NBA championships while playing for the Heat in 2006, 2012, and 2013. Haslem is the only player to appear in all of the Heat's seven Finals appearances so far and one of the only two players (along with Dwyane Wade) to be part all the franchise's three championships.

Early life[]

Haslem was born in Miami. His father, John, played college basketball for the Stetson Hatters from 1972 to 1974. His mother, Debra, was Puerto Rican. Haslem attended Wolfson High School in Jacksonville, Florida, then Miami Senior High School in Miami. He helped lead Miami High to state titles in 1997 and 1998 (the last two of three in a row), playing alongside another future NBA player, Steve Blake. The team was coached by UMass Amherst head coach Frank Martin.

However, an investigation by the Miami New Times revealed that Haslem, Blake and several other players circumvented residency requirements. The New Times reported that while he claimed to live in Miami, he actually lived in Miramar. His official school address was an efficiency apartment owned by a longtime Miami High booster, which was also a violation of Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) rules. As a result, Miami High was stripped of its 1998 title and ordered to forfeit its entire schedule.

College career[]

Haslem accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Billy Donovan's Gators teams from 1998 to 2002, while majoring in leisure service management. As the Gators' starting Center for four years, he was part of Donovan's 1998 recruiting class that raised the national prominence of the Florida Gators basketball program, and included future Miami Heat teammate Mike Miller. His sophomore season saw the team advance to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game, before falling to the Michigan State Spartans 89–76. The Gators received NCAA tournament invitations four consecutive years during his college career–the first time in the program's history. During his tenure with Florida, Haslem averaged 13.7 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game. He was named to the coaches' All–Southeastern Conference (SEC) team four times: as the third team in 1999 and 2000, and the first team in 2001 and 2002. Haslem also ranks third in team history in points scored (1,782) and tenth in rebounds (831). He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2012.

Professional career[]

Chalon–Sur–Saône (2002–2003)[]

Haslem went undrafted in the 2002 NBA Draft largely due to his relative lack of size for a Forward; he measured just 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) at the NBA pre–draft camp Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan had promised to draft Haslem if he was still available in the second round, but the offer fell through. He accepted an offer to join the Atlanta Hawks for training camp and made their roster for the Shaw's Pro Summer League. However, he was released by the Hawks before the start of the 2002–03 NBA season.

Haslem signed with Chalon–Sur–Saône of the French LNB Pro A. He arrived in France weighing nearly 300 lbs. While in France, he lost 50 lbs in eight months. Haslem averaged 16.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in his one season with the team.

Miami Heat (2003–2023)[]

2003–2008: All–Rookie honors and first championship[]

Udonis Haslem 2007

Haslem in 2007.

On August 6, 2003, Haslem signed with his hometown team, the Miami Heat. As a rookie, he played in the Rookie Challenge during All–Star Weekend, earned NBA All–Rookie Second Team honors, and helped the Heat reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

In 2004–05, Haslem started in all 80 games in which he appeared, averaging 10.9 points, a career–high 9.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 33.4 minutes per game. His .540 field goal percentage ranked fifth on the Heat's all–time single–season list at the time. His .540 field goal percentage also ranked fourth in the NBA. Haslem appeared in the Rookie Challenge for the second straight year, this time for the sophomore team.

Haslem re–signed with the Heat in August 2005. In June 2006, he helped the Heat win their maiden NBA championship with a 4–2 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Haslem recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds in the title–clinching game six.

Haslem scored a career–high 28 points on November 10, 2006, in a 113–106 win over the New Jersey Nets.

Since the 2007–08 season, Haslem was hired as the team captain for the Heat. On January 29, 2008, Haslem—who had been the only Miami player to start all 43 games of the 2007–08 season—sustained a sprained left ankle during the Heat's 117–87 loss to the Boston Celtics. He returned to action on February 23, only to play in five games before being ruled out for the rest of the season after reaggravating the ankle injury on March 7 in a 99–134 loss against the Golden State Warriors. He averaged a career–high 12.0 points per game in 2007–08.

2009–2013: Back–to–back championships[]

In July 2010, Haslem signed a five–year deal worth approximately $20 million to remain with the Heat. The contract paid him roughly $14 million less than he could have received if he accepted more lucrative offers from the Dallas Mavericks or Denver Nuggets. He continued on with a new–look Heat roster that included LeBron James and Chris Bosh teaming up with Dwyane Wade. In November 2010, Haslem sustained a torn ligament in his foot, which sidelined him for the rest of the regular season. He returned to action in May 2011 during the playoffs. In June, the Heat were defeated in six games by the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 NBA Finals.

Haslem helped the Heat return to the NBA Finals in 2012. The team defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games, with Haslem winning his second championship.

Udonis Haslem

Haslem in 2013.

In November 2012, Haslem passed Alonzo Mourning to become the franchise leader in total rebounds with 4,808, breaking Mourning's previous record of 4,807. Haslem also became the first undrafted player to lead a franchise in rebounding. In June 2013, Haslem won his third championship after the Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the NBA Finals. After winning his third championship, Haslem revealed that he had played through much of the second half of the 2012–13 season with a torn right meniscus.

2013–2023: Later years and retirement[]

In 2013–14, Haslem lost the rotation spot that he had long occupied. His on–court time continued to significantly diminish as the season progressed. Haslem played in just seven games in January and February combined, and played only two total minutes from January 21 to February 27. Haslem played in just 46 regular–season games in 2013–14, averaging 3.8 points and 3.8 rebounds. The Heat returned to the NBA Finals in 2014 for the fourth straight year, where they were defeated in five games by the Spurs. Following the 2013–14 season, Haslem decided to opt out of the final year of his contract.

Haslem re–signed with the Heat on a two–year deal in July 2014. He re–signed with the Heat on one–year deals in 2016, 2017, and 2018. In January 2019, Haslem indicated that the 2018–19 season would be his last. In April 2019, however, Haslem stated that he had not decided if he was retiring and the decision would not be made until the 2019–20 season.

On August 6, 2019, Haslem re–signed with the Heat to a one–year contract. During the 2019–20 season, he played in four games, including starting at Power Forward in a 109–92 loss to the Indiana Pacers during the Heat's regular season finale. During that season, Haslem became the 30th player in league history to play after turning 40 years old, as well as the first modern era undrafted player to play to that age. Following Vince Carter's retirement during the suspension of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic Haslem became the oldest active player in the NBA. The Heat reached the 2020 NBA Finals, losing in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers; Haslem was on the active roster, but did not play in the postseason.

On November 28, 2020, Haslem re–signed with the Heat. He played in a single game in the 2020–21 season, on May 13, 2021, against the Philadelphia 76ers. Haslem scored four points in two minutes off the bench before getting ejected as a result of a scuffle with Dwight Howard, making the 40–year–old Haslem the oldest player in the last 20 years to get ejected.

On August 15, 2021, Haslem re–signed with the Heat.

On August 23, 2022, Haslem announced his intentions to retire at the end of the 2022–23 season, renewing his contract for another year. In his final regular season game on April 9, 2023, Haslem scored 24 points in 25 minutes in a 123–110 win over the Orlando Magic. He became the second 42–year–old in NBA history to score 24 or more points in a game after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did in Game 3 of the 1989 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons and it marked his highest–scoring output since November 14, 2009 when the Heat lost to the New Jersey Nets 80–81. Haslem's three three–point shots in the game was a career–high. Haslem joined Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks to spend 20 or more seasons with one franchise.

Haslem, aged 42 years and 363 days, became the oldest person to ever play in the NBA Finals when he entered the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, breaking the mark of 42 years, 58 days set by Abdul-Jabbar on June 13, 1989. He played the final 29.8 seconds. The Heat lost the NBA Finals in five games to the Denver Nuggets. Haslem officially announced his retirement on July 28, 2023. The Heat retired Haslem's number 40 jersey on January 19, 2024.

Post–playing career[]

On November 8, 2023, the Heat hired Haslem to hold the role of Vice President of Basketball Development.

Other appearances[]

Haslem appeared in the music video for the song GDFR by Flo Rida, as well as the music video for "Bet That" by Trick Daddy, and the music video for Born-N-Raised by DJ Khaled, Pitbull, Trick Daddy, and Rick Ross.

Personal life[]

Heat party

Haslem at a party with teammates Dwyane Wade (center) and Antoine Walker (far right) in December 2005.

Haslem is married to Faith Rein–Haslem, a sports broadcaster, whom he dated for 14 years. He met Rein in 1999 while attending the University of Florida, where she was a member of the Florida Gators track and field team. They have three sons. Haslem also has two brothers and three sisters.

Haslem, among other high–profile athletes and celebrities, was a paid spokesperson for FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange. In November 2022, FTX filed for bankruptcy, wiping out billions of dollars in customer funds. Haslem, alongside other spokespeople, is currently being sued for promoting unregistered securities through a class–action lawsuit. In February 2022, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a lawsuit against Bitconnect that the Securities Act of 1933 extends to targeted solicitation using social media.

Career statistics[]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship

NBA[]

Regular season[]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2003–04 Miami 75 24 23.9 .459 .000 .765 6.3 .7 .4 .3 7.3
2004–05 Miami 80 80 33.4 .540 .000 .791 9.1 1.4 .8 .5 10.9
2005–06 Miami 81 80 30.8 .508 .000 .789 7.8 1.2 .6 .2 9.3
2006–07 Miami 79 79 31.4 .492 .000 .680 8.3 1.2 .6 .3 10.7
2007–08 Miami 49 48 36.8 .467 .810 9.0 1.4 .8 .4 12.0
2008–09 Miami 75 75 34.1 .518 .753 8.2 1.1 .6 .3 10.6
2009–10 Miami 78 0 27.9 .494 .762 8.1 .7 .4 .3 9.9
2010–11 Miami 13 0 26.5 .512 .800 8.2 .5 .5 .2 8.0
2011–12 Miami 64 10 24.8 .423 .814 7.3 .7 .5 .4 6.0
2012–13 Miami 75 59 18.9 .514 .711 5.4 .5 .4 .2 3.9
2013–14 Miami 46 18 14.2 .507 .568 3.8 .3 .2 .3 3.8
2014–15 Miami 62 25 16.0 .448 .200 .703 4.2 .7 .3 .2 4.2
2015–16 Miami 37 0 7.0 .337 .111 .750 2.0 .4 .1 .1 1.6
2016–17 Miami 16 0 8.1 .478 .000 .600 2.3 .4 .4 .1 1.9
2017–18 Miami 14 0 5.1 .200 .125 .500 .7 .4 .0 .1 .6
2018–19 Miami 10 1 7.4 .333 .000 .750 2.7 .2 .0 .0 2.5
2019–20 Miami 4 1 11.0 .364 .333 .750 4.0 .3 .0 .0 3.0
2020–21 Miami 1 0 3.0 1.000 1.0 .0 .0 .0 4.0
2021–22 Miami 13 0 6.4 .452 .250 1.000 1.9 .3 .1 .1 2.5
2022–23 Miami 7 1 10.1 .345 .333 .800 1.6 .0 .1 .3 3.9
Career 879 501 24.7 .489 .127 .756 6.6 .8 .5 .3 7.5

Playoffs[]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2004 Miami 13 0 15.3 .394 .677 3.4 .2 .4 .2 3.6
2005 Miami 15 15 36.2 .491 .739 10.0 1.0 .5 .4 9.2
2006 Miami 22 22 29.5 .493 .000 .683 7.4 .8 .6 .3 8.6
2007 Miami 4 4 25.8 .480 .750 5.3 1.0 .3 .5 7.5
2009 Miami 7 7 29.1 .543 .900 8.7 .4 .4 .4 8.4
2010 Miami 5 0 28.4 .351 .667 7.4 .8 .2 .2 6.0
2011 Miami 12 0 24.2 .397 .900 4.5 .8 .5 .3 5.3
2012 Miami 22 11 20.5 .455 .743 6.4 .6 .2 .3 4.8
2013 Miami 22 19 16.2 .593 .571 3.6 .3 .7 .2 5.0
2014 Miami 16 6 10.6 .459 .600 2.6 .3 .1 .2 2.5
2016 Miami 9 0 9.4 .533 .714 3.4 .4 .0 .1 2.3
2023 Miami 2 0 1.5 .000 .000 .5 .0 .0 .0 .0
Career 147 84 21.7 .480 .000 .713 5.6 .6 .4 .3 5.7

College[]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1998–99 Florida 31 21.3 .603 .000 .592 5.0 .8 .7 .7 10.5
1999–00 Florida 37 22.4 .579 .639 5.1 .9 .8 .8 11.8
2000–01 Florida 31 31 28.1 .597 .709 7.5 1.0 .8 1.0 16.8
2001–02 Florida 31 31 28.3 .562 .000 .694 8.3 1.6 .9 1.3 16.0
Career 130 62 24.9 .584 .000 .666 6.4 1.1 .8 .9 13.7

Records[]

Miami Heat[]

Regular season[]

  • Most rebounds (5,780)
  • Most defensive rebounds (4,169)
  • Most offensive rebounds (1,611)

Playoffs[]

  • Most offensive rebounds (230)

Awards and honors[]

Gallery[]

External links[]

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