Heat retire the No. 40 jersey worn by Udonis Haslem.

Udonis Haslem, a former player for the Miami Heat, wipes away a tear during the halftime show of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, January 19, 2024, in Miami.

Throughout his career, Udonis Haslem averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds. He never made the squad of All-Stars. Never had a double or triple. Never committed to a deal that was even remotely maximum. Never even earned a player of the week award. The statistics may appear typical, but he will always be legendary to the Miami Heat. The Miami native played for the Miami Heat for his whole 20-year career. He captained the team for 16 of those seasons and was a member of three championship teams. On Friday night, his retired No. 40 jersey was hoisted to the ceiling. It marked the apex of a career that had seen him go from being undrafted to almost unrivalled.

After going undrafted in 2002 and playing his whole 20-year NBA career with the Miami Heat, Haslem is revered as a Heat icon for everything he stood for and represented. Before he retired at the end of the previous season, he captained the Heat for the final 16 seasons of his playing career.

Haslem became the only undrafted player in NBA history to lead a franchise in total rebounds while contributing to each of the three championship teams the team won in 2006, 2012, and 2013.
Only three players—Haslem included—have played their whole NBA career—that is, for at least 20 seasons—with a single team. Haslem is the only player to have done so in his hometown, along with Dirk Nowitzki (who played for the Dallas Mavericks for 21 seasons) and Kobe Bryant (20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers).

Although Haslem’s playing days are ended and his Heat jersey has been retired, he will still be involved with the team. Shortly after his retirement at the end of the previous season, the Heat appointed him as the vice president of basketball development, and he still has aspirations of joining the Heat’s ownership group.