The end of the 2023 NBA Finals in June also marked the conclusion of the occupation of Udonis Haslem. Undrafted out of Florida. Haslem joined the Heat in 2003, with whom he would shell out the entirety of his 20-calendar year career. Together the way, Haslem contributed to 3 championships, turned the franchise’s chief in rebounds, and grew to become the defining image of Heat tradition.
In advance of the playoffs, Sporting activities Illustrated asked Dwyane Wade—who entered the NBA with Haslem—to reflect on their 20-yr friendship and Haslem’s occupation. Here’s Wade, in his very own terms, on the legacy of UD.
The 1st working day I met UD, I came to coaching camp for Summer season League the yr I got drafted. I confirmed up two times afterwards than everybody for the reason that of household matters. I was the fifth pick so you could get absent with things like that. Everyone was now there, and I don’t forget my initially day I was watching this man go for it all. I’m conversing about flying out of bounds obtaining the ball, functioning through people today. I have by no means found anyone perform with that type of intensity. So I questioned somebody, “Who is that dude?” And they stated, “Udonis Haslem.” And I was like, “The body fat dude from Florida?!”
I couldn’t think it was him, mainly because the previous time I experienced observed him was playing in faculty. And he was a terrific submit player, but he was a massive dude. Now I was viewing somebody who experienced remodeled his overall body, he experienced braids, and he was just out there, dog. It was like a pit bull.
We were being two younger guys in training camp alongside one another. For most of my to start with few months in Miami, it was just him and me jointly. We have been doing the job out, pushing every other, developing a bond. We would go out to minor bars and enjoy football game titles. I did not have a workforce, so I commenced observing the Canes with him. From there, we began sharing stories and recognized we had so significantly in common, from our childhood to our upbringing to our families. When you’re about any person every single working day, generating absolutely sure you depart for apply on time, earning absolutely sure you leave alongside one another, all these things, you create a relationship. Which is how it commenced for us.
In the 2006 Finals, he was remarkable. Especially with the children, most people wants to do the attractive stuff. They want to do the things that receives the highlights, receives persons talking about you, gets your title created up. That‘s what I did. I did the pretty stuff. I scored 30. I dunked on persons, I did all that. But Udonis did the things that’s not sexy. The stuff that no one wishes to do. The further effort and hard work. You guard the best participant, but you may only get just one or two shots. You may touch the ball one or two times, but I need you to run this pick-and-roll and make confident I get open up. He did all the stuff no one symptoms up for, and he did it in these types of a fashion that we could come to feel the relevance of it.
Of study course, we had Shaq [O’Neal], we had GP [Gary Payton], we had Toine [Antoine Walker], but when it came down to it, the Udonis Haslems of the environment are the rationale we received the championship. Guarding Dirk [Nowitzki], a dude that can get 20 to 30 shots off anywhere he wants? Which is tricky, mentally and physically. UD was up for the problem, and he under no circumstances complained.
In the summer season of 2010 I was on the cell phone with my agent, and we have been speaking about everything that was heading down, how a great deal cash I was obtaining as opposed to the revenue Chris [Bosh] and LeBron [James] ended up having. And in the midst of it I questioned him about UD, and my agent explained to me items have been not searching fantastic for him. So I bought off the phone and called UD ideal away, and when I identified as him he was essentially on his way to the arena to inform Pat Riley, “Thank you for everything. But I received a different offer which is more significant for my relatives and me.” As I talked to UD, I could hear the disappointment in his voice. He experienced designed the tradition in this article, and now we have to get rid of him? He had to depart for the reason that of monetary good reasons? That did not sit effectively with me, so I achieved out to Chris and Bron right away and reported here’s the condition. This does not experience right. Let us do what we will need to do to make certain he stays right here. And everybody—without even being aware of him—was in immediately. And since that was my brother, I advised Chris and Bron I would just take the major hit. Because it did not make a difference if we gained championships, it wasn’t going to sense full without Udonis getting a portion of this s—.
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It is tough, guy. When you come from the group me and UD arrive from, you could not have heard your father or your uncles or any guy in your everyday living say, “I adore you.” It was just the tradition we grew up in. With UD, I was picking fights, and he was jumping in. Having hits for me. Using fines for me. I never ever had that right before. That was a various amount of a brother for me. We built a regard for every single other I feel Udonis is familiar with I would have carried out anything at all for him. Our romantic relationship was hardly ever one particular of give-give.
And being in a playoff sequence with Udonis? I would by no means get worried about a person matter, mainly because I realized I had a pet with me. And if something broke down, I understood I experienced that person no one wished to f— with.
In the 2012 Indiana series, Udonis experienced gotten strike in the confront previously. It was a incredibly bodily series. When he got strike in the facial area and started out bleeding, he was just shaking his head like, “All appropriate, all proper, motherf—er.” The hit that Tyler Hansbrough put on me, if you go back again and view, that was a f—ed strike. And I have performed some hits. I f—ed some people today up. So I can not be a single to ever complain. But I was a minimal dizzy right after that 1. Udonis saw it. Then he observed the high 5 involving Hansbrough and a single of his teammates. And I bear in mind heading to the huddle and telling UD to go away it on your own, that it was great. And he just experienced this look on his experience like, “No, it ain’t.” And then the basketball gods gave us a pick-and-roll they threw it back again to Hansbrough, and Udonis was the low person. What are you intended to do? [Editors’ note: Haslem was called for a flagrant foul for striking Hansbrough in the face. He was suspended one game.] That’s playoff basketball, and that is UD’s mentality.
But he’s also often been that protector for the local community. He’s often been a hope. He touched Miami in so numerous different methods. There was not a time when I went out in the club again in the working day that I did not have anyone in the club stroll up to me and say, “Yo, I’m Udonis’s boy. You’re good.” When I was any place, there have been men and women that were Udonis’s household who protected me. From the second I acquired in the club to the minute I acquired in the motor vehicle. He experienced his fingers in each component of Miami. He’s Mr. Miami, and that is how it must be for him.
Udonis and I have acknowledged every other for 20 yrs now. When my daughter Kaavia was born, it was a no-brainer for me to make UD her godfather. Kaav has two fathers in a feeling, two adult males she can appear up to and be happy of, and appreciates she can be guarded in distinctive techniques. Watching him be a godfather, male, he’s a way much better godfather than I am. I need to have to get notes. He’s so associated, usually on FaceTime, he’s normally sending movies. When we’re in Miami he tends to make certain to devote time with her. He definitely dedicates his time to the people he loves. She’s even softened him up.
I don’t have a whole lot of 20-year interactions. To have that bond with UD, we discuss to each individual other on the cell phone for hours, we are sharing factors and being vulnerable, it’s just different than any partnership I have. Which is my large brother. As we go by this planet, we are locked in for a lifetime. And there is a convenience in that. Exterior of my relatives and spouse, he’s the initial person I selected for myself.
He has had the finest career in Miami Heat record. No a single thought that would be the circumstance when he first walked into that constructing. The franchise has experienced Shaq, Tim Hardaway, Alonzo [Mourning], LeBron, Chris Bosh—a line of Hall of Famers. But there’s one particular that stands higher than us all. Which is Udonis Haslem. How damn neat is it that young ones expanding up will want to have a vocation like his?
