First preseason action for Heat’s Udonis Haslem since 2018 came with ‘mixed emotions’

When describing the experience, Udonis Haslem said there were “a lot of mixed emotions.”

The Miami Heat veteran forward and team captain appeared in his first preseason game Thursday since 2018 and played more than 10 minutes in a game for the first time since Aug. 14, 2020. But it also marked the first game that Haslem has played in since his father, Johnnie Haslem, died on Aug. 30 at 70 years old.

“I was happy to be back, man,” Haslem said ahead of the Heat’s preseason finale on Friday night against the Boston Celtics at FTX Arena. “But, obviously, there’s a part of me that has never stepped on the basketball court without my father somewhere. Whether it be watching it on TV or in the stands. That was a harsh reality for me. I had moments, I had moments. But I’m going to continue to have moments. I’m just going to work through them.”

Haslem, 41, finished with one point, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 13 minutes in Thursday night’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. He even took a charge in the third quarter.

With the Heat missing 11 players and most of its regulars in Atlanta, Haslem started the game and played the first 7:25 before re-entering to play the first six minutes of the third quarter. His playing time was limited on Thursday in part because he just rejoined the Heat on Sunday after missing the first two weeks of practices to mourn the death of father.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Haslem is still “working his way back into shape” and “I didn’t want to run him into the ground.” The Miami native reported to the Heat this season at 223 pounds and 6.25 percent body fat.

“It felt good to be back out on the court. Just to be engaged,” Haslem said. “The one bright spot that I did have throughout my absence was watching the guys play and the way they were maturing and jelling and meshing. To be expected, a little fatigued and legs not all the way there. But still got a rebound every three minutes, which is about my average for my career. I still do that. I got a charge, so we can still do that. But it was fun.”

Haslem, who again delayed retirement this past summer to return to the Heat for his 19th NBA season, played in one game last season.

“I loved it. I loved having UD in the locker room, on the floor, all the moments in between with the basketball team,” Spoelstra said Thursday. “His presence is immense, and you can’t put an analytic on it, his level of leadership, mentorship.”

The previous two times that Haslem logged more than 10 minutes in a game, he grabbed eight rebounds in 24 minutes during the Heat’s 2019-20 regular-season finale against the Indiana Pacers in the Walt Disney World bubble and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes during the 2018-19 regular season finale against the Brooklyn Nets in Dwyane Wade’s final game.

Haslem, who is the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder, said if Spoelstra needs him to play extended minutes during the regular season that “I can give you a double-double.”

The likelihood is Haslem will again spend the upcoming season watching most games from the Heat’s bench. He has played less of an on-court role and more of a leadership role in recent seasons, playing in only 29 games since the start of the 2017-18 season while serving as a Heat captain in each of the past 14 seasons (the longest tenure in team history).

“My shot was there tonight,” Haslem said. “It was just a little short, those are legs and that’s fatigue. But when coach has put me in, I’ve given the numbers that he’s needed me to give, I’ve given the energy that he’s needed me to give. The thing about it is that I still have the passion and I still have game to give. As long as the body holds up, I’m fine.”

Haslem attended Miami High and has spent his entire NBA career with the Heat and currently holds the longest streak by any active player with only one team in the league. His last double-double came when he totaled 12 points and 11 rebounds during the 2018-19 regular-season finale.

Once he enters a game in 2021-22, Haslem will become the 21st player in NBA history to play at least 19 seasons. He will also become only the fifth player to spend an entire NBA career lasting at least 19 seasons with one team, joining a list that includes Dirk Nowitzki (21 seasons with Dallas Mavericks), Kobe Bryant (20 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers), John Stockton (19 seasons with Utah Jazz) and Tim Duncan (19 seasons with San Antonio Spurs).

Despite all of that experience, Thursday’s preseason appearance represented a first for Haslem. The emotion of playing in his first game following his father’s passing and doing it only a few days after rejoining the team.

“Regardless of how many years I got in this league and how much experience, I’ve never experienced playing a game without a practice or a training camp,” Haslem said. “That’s the first time that’s ever happened. So there’s no experience for that that I can just say, ‘Oh, I can draw on these experiences to get through this. I’ve never missed a training camp and just jumped out and played a game. So regardless of who was out there on the court, I was going to be leaning on my guys to help pull me through.”

But more often than not this season, the rest of the Heat’s roster will be relying on Haslem to help guide them as the team’s leader.

“Just to have him back out there was good,” Spoelstra said. “I think it was therapeutic for him. I think it’s great for our guys to have him out there and helping everybody through the process.”