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Miami Heat veteran Udonis Haslem will draw curtains on his 19-year NBA career after the end of this season. Haslem couldn't have asked for a better farewell campaign, with the Heat making the NBA Finals this year. He now has a shot at winning his fourth ring before he retires.
Haslem hasn't contributed much on the court, unlike his previous championship runs. However, as the veteran on the bench, his influence in the locker room and portrayal of the "Heat Culture" has had a massive impact on Miami's success.
Haslem was quite impactful on the court as well when he was on the rotation years ago. Haslem played as a power forward or center during his prime. He had some stellar scoring games too.
Udonis Haslem's career-high with the Heat was 28 points. He achieved the feat twice. Furthermore, Haslem did it against the same opponent, the New Jersey Nets, in 2006 and 2009 respectively.
He tallied 28 points and nine rebounds in a 113-106 win on November 10, 2006. He replicated the scoring feat in an 81-80 win on November 14, 2009. Haslem also had 12 rebounds in that contest. He shot 12-20 in that game.
Heat veteran Udonis Haslem nearly reached his career-high effort this season
Udonis Haslem went on a scoring burst in his final regular season game on April 9, 2023, against the Orlando Magic. The 42-year-old recorded 24 points and three rebounds in a 123-110 win, shooting 52.9%, including a career-high three 3-pointers on seven attempts.
Haslem nearly matched his career-scoring high effort of 28 points in that game. It was some way to play his farewell game, and quite impressive, too, considering he hasn't received much playing time on the court.
However, Haslem left everything on the floor in those 25 minutes, which contributed greatly to the Heat's win that night.
Udonis Haslem also started one game this season, his first since 2020 and only third in eight seasons. He was a regular starter for six of his 19 seasons with the Heat.
Miami will hope someone can fill his void in the locker room as Haslem arguably resonates with the "Heat Culture" better than anyone after spending his entire career with the franchise, helping young and new players coming into the team to learn what it means and how it reflects their personalities both on and off the court.
The Heat will hope to send Haslem off into the sunset with another ring on his finger.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals takes place on Thursday, June 1 in Denver.
