One of the most respected players in the NBA has announced he’s returning for one more season after being more of a coach in the past couple of years. Udonis Haslem, just like the entire Miami Heat organization, suffered a painful defeat in the 2022 NBA playoffs after the Boston Celtics shocked them in the Eastern Conference Finals.
After that series, speculation surrounded Haslem’s future, with the player admitting he wasn’t sure about coming back for one more campaign. Well, that’s part of the past now, as Haslem has announced he’s returning for his 20th season.
Talking at his youth camp, Haslem stated that he’s going to fulfill a promise he made to his father about playing for 20 seasons. He’s been around for a while now, and the journey hasn’t finished yet.
Udonis Haslem says he’s coming to finish what he discussed with his late father about playing 20 seasons. Says he’s gonna finish it for his dad and his city. pic.twitter.com/sdxKB1iZyN
— Will Manso (@WillManso) August 21, 2022
Even though he’s become more of an active assistant coach, Haslem has found some time on the court in recent years, but that’s not as common as before. With this decision, Haslem would become the third player with most seasons on one team, trailing Dirk Nowitzki (21) and tying Kobe Bryant.
Most seasons with one team:
21 — Dirk Nowitzki
20 — Kobe Bryant
20 — Udonis Haslem pic.twitter.com/8W5ZSwmmW1
— StatMuse (@statmuse) August 21, 2022
In 872 regular season games, Haslem holds an average of 7.5 points per game, and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the floor and 75.6 percent from the line.
Udonis is a very respected player in the association, and this seems to be the last dance for him before taking another role in the Heat organization. The Heat are planning to run it back and improve what they did last season, but the East looks too strong after an entertaining offseason. Still, they know they can do big things, and having Haslem’s support will be crucial for that.
