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Miami Heat retired star Udonis Haslem’s jersey in an emotional ceremony on January 20, Saturday (IST) during the game against the Atlanta Hawks. Haslem, a Miami native, spent his entire 20-year career with the Heat and served as a captain in 16 seasons. He was also a part of three championship teams. The jersey retirement ceremony saw the presence of several Heat legends including Dwyane Wade, Tim Hardaway, and Alonzo Mourning.
The ceremony started with Heat broadcaster Eric Reid’s presentation about the accomplishments of Haslem along with the gifts from the organisation. Heat donated USD 50,000 to Haslem’s organisation, along with a replica of the retirement banner and three new seats inside in honor of Haslem's late father, mother, and stepmother.
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Haslem joined the list of legends like Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Hardaway, and Chris Bosh, to get their jerseys retired. During the ceremony, Haslem got emotional as he watched the banner rise to the rafters. In his speech, he said, "You all got the money on me crying, don't y'all? I know you all think I'm going to cry. Yeah, it's hard. It's hard. It's hard. Heat Nation, it's been an absolute honor, man." He added, "You've got to hold up the 305. Tonight, we all celebrate, 305."
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Haslem was the franchise’s oldest active player when he retired after last season at the age of 43. The former Heat player is the franchise's all-time leading rebounder with 5,791, and 879 games played. After the ceremony, he said, "When you come here and you look up in those rafters and you see the list of guys I'm sitting with, that's what's huge to me. That's what makes me feel so amazing is the core group of guys I'm sitting with.” He added, “I might not go in, but in my heart, in my soul, I'm just as appreciated in this organization."
