Udonis Haslem’s presence on the Heat is an important one
By Rob Slater
The Miami Heat’s undisputed captain, Udonis Haslem, will return for a 15th and extremely important season.
It was never really in doubt, but in the end the Miami Heat handed out the most important $2.3 million of their offseason when it re-signed franchise pillar Udonis Haslem.
Haslem probably won’t start a single game next year or even log meaningful minutes, but there is no doubt that his departure would’ve signaled a severe shift in attitude and leadership. The reality is the Heat are far stronger with their captain patrolling the sideline than they are with him wearing another jersey.
The Heat inked Haslem to another one-year deal, his 15th season with the only franchise he’s ever known in one of the only cities (Gainesville is a hike from Miami) he’s ever known. He’s 37 now and his on-court prowess has left him, but Haslem is the steady veteran force the Heat need in the locker room as they nurture and develop this young core.
While Haslem nurtures in his own unique way, certainly with a few more broken chairs and dry erase boards, the young Heat players need to see Haslem not as a consultant in a suit but as their brother in a jersey. Hassan Whiteside needs to see a man nearly 10 years his elder lifting weights at 6 in the morning. Bam Adebayo needs to see a man who was in college when he was born getting up extra shots after practice.
Haslem doesn’t just bring an attitude, he brings the type of career stability these young players (and journeymen like Wayne Ellington, Dion Waiters and James Johnson) are looking for. He also brings the championships to prove that the hard work eventually pays off. He’s a living testament to one of the Heat’s longest standing credos: If you dedicate yourself, the organization will always take care of you. Haslem has always understood that.
More from All U Can Heat
- Grade the Trade: Heat grab Trae Young in shocking proposal
- NBA 2K24 Ratings: Takeaways and reactions to Miami Heat player ratings
- 4 Teams that should trade for Tyler Herro
- Miami Heat’s Nikola Jovic gives entire world reason to love him
- 1 Advantage the Heat have over every Southeast Division team
In a time where the Heat only make headlines for who isn’t on the team, Haslem has been the much-needed constant, and now he will anchor the locker room during one of the most pivotal moments in the Heat’s 30 years as a franchise.
A leader by example not just how to be a great player within the Heat’s culture, but how to be a professional in the NBA. One of the league’s very best stories of longevity along with Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Many Ginobili.
It’s no wonder that as Haslem remained unsigned, the Cleveland Cavaliers showed interest. The three-time Eastern Conference champions weren’t in need of a stretch-4 when they contacted Haslem, they were in need of an authority in the locker room. LeBron James gleaned a number of attributes from his time in Miami, one of those being a healthy respect for Haslem and his journey.
In the very same letter James released to break up with Haslem and the Heat, he also said that “nothing is given, everything is earned.” No player embodies that mantra more than Haslem, at least among James’ former and current teammates–and possibly the entire league.
Next: The top-5 power forwards in Heat history
The no-excuses, win-at-all-costs warrior who permanently wears the state of Florida on his back returns once again to shepherd the new generation of future Miami Heat stars, as it always should be.