Miami Heat Nation helps celebrate Udonis Haslem’s 40th birthday

Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem and DJ Irie are seen during LYFE Brand x Dwyane Wade Jersey Retirement Celebration (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images for LYFE Brand)
Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem and DJ Irie are seen during LYFE Brand x Dwyane Wade Jersey Retirement Celebration (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images for LYFE Brand)

A look around Miami Heat Nation today would lead you right back to UD40. That’s Udonis Haslem for short, but specifically, because it is UD’s 40th!

The Miami Heat have been fortunate enough to win three titles in their short time as an NBA franchise. Having only been around for around 40 years, since 1988, they have come a long way in a relatively short period.

They have also had the benefit and fortune of being the home of one of the toughest men in the NBA for the entirety of his career. Almost as seasoned today as his professional basketball franchise is, the Captain and the OG, Udonis Haslem has turned 40 years old.

UD joins a list that’s not that long, only 29 deep, of players that played professional NBA basketball into their 40’s. Among those names are Michael Jordan, Jason Kid, Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki, Robert Parrish, Dikembe Mutombo, Steve Nash, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Manu Ginobli, Grant Hill, Tim Duncan, Miami Heat champion Juwan Howard, and of course, Vince Carter.

This wasn’t the only group of guys that UD found himself surrounded by on his birthday though. Here is a post from his personal Instagram account that tells a different story.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBM7dGBJQxP/

A man of the people, Udonis Haslem has not only grown to signify everything right about what it means to be from Miami, but he has also done something similar for the Miami Heat. When thinking about the Miami Heat’s no-nonsense, hard-working, balls to the wall philosophy, UD is the perfect mascot for that movement.

Not only that, he’s been around for most of the Miami Heat’s biggest accomplishments, while also racking up a few of his own. Let this next tweet from BallIsLife tell the story.

Well, it’s all the truth. Not like that guy that makes a living hating on the Miami Heat and its legends, but like that for which UD  stands for.

Here’s to you Udonis! And perhaps even one more season!

We can’t wait to see the Miami Heat’s glorious return to play. Hopefully, Pat can convince UD that he has one more in him.