Hthere is something immovable in the Heat in addition to his logo with that burning ball. It is the presence of Udonis Haslem. The 41-year-old pvot has just signed his 10th contract with the Miami. Follow one more season in exchange for $ 2.8 million. Be your nineteenth year in the team of the city that saw him born.
Haslem has disputed five meetings in the last two seasons, but the coach Erik Spoelstra He continues to be considered essential for the quality of his training, for his toughness, for his passion for basketball … In short, for his professionalism and for the example he sets for young people. “Udonis Haslem agreed to come back and play basketball, the game he loves so much. Thank you, UD, for leading again in your city, your organization and your team,” he congratulated him. Pat Riley, president of the franchise.
The 2.03-meter pvot has hardly played basketball anywhere other than Florida. Study in Wolfson High School Y Miami Senior High School before entering the University of Florida. In 2002 he was not chosen in the draft and was forced to leave his home state. Went to play Chalon French, where he averaged 16.1 points and 9.4 points. The following year he signed his first contract with the Heat and will never change shirts again. With her has won three rings, being the only one with Dwyane Wade who was present in all of them. In addition, he leads the franchise in rebounds, is second in games and minutes played and seventh in points.
Among the most faithful in the NBA
When he plays his next official game, Haslem will become the fifth player in NBA history to experience his nineteenth season with a single team. Equalize to Tim Duncan (Spurs) Y John Stockton (Jazz) and will only have ahead Kobe Bryant (20 in the Lakers) Y Dirk Nowitzki (21 en los Mavericks).
In addition, the pvot will be the oldest player in the NBA. He already was last year, when he was almost two and a half years old. Anderson Varejao. He is the eleventh oldest in the history of the League and if he plays any game after November 8 he will be placed seventh. That would leave only Nat Hickey, Kevin Willis, Robert Parish, Vince Carter, Dikembe Mutombo Y Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ahead of him.
After threatening retirement several times, Haslem has renewed season by season for years. You never know what your last game might be. Last year I only played one. We had to wait until May 13 to see him on the track … and hold three minutes.
He was expelled for a confrontation with Dwight Howard, then in the Sixers. “It was fun to go out and play basketball showing that I can continue to do it at a high level and that I can help my team win. It is a great memory. And, If this is the last game, it ended the only way Udonis Haslem could: with an expulsion. “, He said. In that meeting he added four points with 2/2 in shots and a rebound. Difficult to do more things in less time.
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