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Even though Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James have stolen most of the headlines, you cannot talk about the Miami Heat without talking about Udonis Haslem.
Haslem is finally retiring after two decades in South Beach, and being the fan favorite he is, even teams from other sports plan to honor him.
According to League Alerts, the Miami Marlins will honor him during their home game on Thursday, September 7, at LoanDepot Park.
The 43-year-old will be an in-game host for their marquee matchup vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The MLB’s Miami Marlins plan to honor retiring Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem on Thursday, Sept. 7 at LoanDepot Park in the Magic City. Haslem, 43, will serve as an in-game host for next Thursday’s 6:40 p.m. game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/1xodXRopFy
— League Alerts (@LeagueAlerts) August 31, 2023
Notably, Haslem was never a star in the league.
Even in his prime and best years, Haslem was nothing more than a defensive-oriented role player, a bruiser, and a physical interior presence.
But his vocal leadership and his mentorship helped set the blueprint of the Heat Culture that the organization has taken a lot of pride in.
Haslem is the longest-tenured player in franchise history, even ahead of Wade, who left the team to have brief stints with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers before heading back home.
He was a part of every single championship and NBA Finals team, and while his role wasn’t exactly prominent more often than not, he was still an integral part of their locker room.
Haslem will finally take a step aside and leave an open roster spot for another rotation player, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him join Erik Spoelstra’s staff as an assistant coach.
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