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Udonis Haslem, a Miami Heat legend, recently announced his retirement after 20 seasons with the Heat. He reached the NBA Finals six times and won the Championship thrice,
The South Beach legend will be honored by MLB team Miami Marlins. They will sign Haslem to a one-day contract and host a "UD Night" against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 7, 2023.
Here's what Haslem said about this contract:
"I am very excited to sign my one-day contract with Marlins. As a hometown kid from the three O' five, this is truly, truly a dream come true. So, thank you."
"305" is the area code where the legend grew up. Haslem continued:
"Get ready for me to throw some cheese out there. ... I just wanna show you how much of a fan I am. I'll be locked in.
Throwing cheese means throwing the baseball at a speed of 95-100 mph. Haslem is excited about what is to come on UD Night.
Udonis Haslem will look to create a buzz around South Beach with his UD Night celebration. Apart from Haslem, the Marlins are also excited for UD Night. Caroline O’Connor, Marlins President of Business Operations, said about the occasion:
“Udonis Haslem embodies the South Florida community, and it is our honor to celebrate his many accomplishments on the court and in the surrounding neighborhoods of Miami with UD Night on September 7."
O'Connor continued:
"We could not think of a better way to recognize his commitment to the community than by supporting his newly launched foundation with a donation from every UD Night ticket.”
The UD night will feature a limited-edition “Haslem 40” Marlins T-shirt included in the ticket package. $3.05 from each ticket, influenced by the area code, will go to the Udonis Haslem Foundation as proceeds.
What will Udonis Haslem do after retirement from NBA?
Udonis Haslem spent 20 seasons with the Miami Heat. He averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and is the Heat's all-time leader in offensive (1,615), defensive (4,176) and total rebounds (5,791).
While he was never the star player for the Heat, he still played a vital role in their success.
In the 2005-06 season, Haslem averaged 10.7 points and 8.3 rebounds to help the Heat win their first championship. A few years later, in 2012 and 2013, he helped them win in back-to-back years, providing valuable minutes off the bench. Haslem's contribution was pivotal in LeBron James winning his first NBA championship.
Recently, Haslem has been used less as a basketball player and more as an extension of the coaching staff.
That has helped the team make finals appearances in 2020 and 2023, but they couldn't seal the deal on either occasion. After losing in the 2023 Finals, Haslem said about his place in the Heat organization:
“I mean, I just want to be part of this organization for the rest of my life, man. It's a lot of love here, man.
"This is family. Loyal to the soil. Whatever it is and whatever it takes to continue to have this organization at a championship level and compete for championships, count me in.”
It's likely that Udonis Haslem could join the Miami Heat as an assistant coach. He has had some exposure to this role and could grow into it.
Haslem's championship experience and knowledge about the game could help him succeed in the role. More so, his familiarity with the Heat culture would make him a perfect fit.
