Udonis Haslem is the longest-tenured player in the NBA right now. The 3-time NBA champion has been with the Miami Heat for his entire career and has spent 20 years with the franchise. And while he is no longer a relied-upon player at 41 years of age, he is still considered an important part of the franchise.
But despite his age, Haslem has shown that he is always ready, and puts up a fight whenever he is given the opportunity. Recently, footage of Victor Oladipo in training surfaced on the internet, as he gets ready to make a return. Oladipo looked really good, but it was Haslem that caught the attention of NBA fans.
Oladipo was being guarded by Udonis Haslem. And Haslem played tireless defense against Oladipo, not giving him any room to maneuver. While Oladipo was still able to hit the impressive fadeaway shot, Haslem’s defensive effort, especially at his age, was truly impressive for NBA fans to watch.
This man getting 0 inches of separation against Udonis Haslem https://t.co/Pcpsy4z9ef
— threevincenzo (@threevincenzo) February 2, 2022
NBA fans reacted to Haslem’s impressive hustle on defense, especially against a much younger player in Oladipo, and in a practice session. Most fans noted how well he was guarding Oladipo, and how much he was making him work to be able to get his own shot off.
https://twitter.com/dru7629/status/1488988455086477320
This argument has never made sense. honestly fans need to stop saying stuff like this.
— LeGoatJames (@BronTheBest) February 2, 2022
I hate comments like this.We all know any NBA player would smoke any of us schmucks, nobody is saying otherwise,but that doesn’t mean we aren’t allowed to talk shit.When someone says an NBA player sucks, it doesn’t mean they’re actually a bad player; they’re bad on an NBA level.
— Michael More (@mkmore4) February 3, 2022
Not giving a bucket against a 25-30 year old
— somebodyelse (@sounawareofit75) February 2, 2022
I would say just leave him alone champ… He's obviously just a young dude who doesn't understand what he's watching. A lot of people Equate NBA2K to real life… It is what it is
— #freezusshuttlesworth🧢 (@KINGTROLLGOD) February 3, 2022
That's his point
— Mehrshad (@SepehrEskandar2) February 2, 2022
Not for the reason you’re implying
— Meyer Rothbaum (@MeyerRothbaum) February 2, 2022
— Tyler🫠(@ogsizzzle) February 3, 2022
— Brad. (@bradclaymusic) February 3, 2022
https://twitter.com/bird_XCIII/status/1489036878783389698
The Heat have kept Udonis Haslem around because he has been the defensive enforcer of the franchise for quite some time now. And he plays an important role within the Heat locker room, serving as one of the leaders for the team, and helping to mentor some of the younger stars on the squad.
Going forward, Haslem is unlikely to get any significant minutes for the Heat unless they suffer a massive shortfall of players. But Haslem has shown his importance to the franchise. It is unknown when Haslem will walk away from the NBA. But there is no doubt that the Heat will struggle to replace his presence.
