Heat retires Udonis Haslem’s No. 40 jersey during emotional ceremony: ‘This is a dream come true’

Udonis Haslem spent 20 seasons wearing a Miami Heat jersey. Now, his jersey will forever hang from the rafters in the Heat’s home arena.

During a halftime ceremony in the middle of Friday night’s game between the Heat and Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center, Haslem’s No. 40 jersey was retired by the organization. Haslem, 43, became the sixth Heat player to have his jersey retired, joining Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.

“Look at the list of the guys I’m sitting with,” Haslem said, referring to the first five Heat players who had their jerseys retired and are already in the Basketball Hall of Fame. “That’s what’s huge to me. That’s what makes me feel so amazing is the core group of guys that I’m sitting with. Pat Riley ain’t just putting anybody up there. The Arisons ain’t just OK’ing anybody to go up in those rafters.”

Haslem’s stats don’t stand out, averaging 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game during his 20-year NBA career. But numbers don’t define his Heat legacy.

Haslem is a Heat icon because of everything he stood for and represented as a Miami native who went undrafted in 2002 before spending his entire 20-year NBA career with his hometown Heat. He spent the final 16 seasons of his playing career as a Heat captain prior to retiring at the end of last season.

Haslem played a role on each of the franchise’s three championship teams in 2006, 2012 and 2013, while becoming the only undrafted player in NBA history to lead a franchise in total rebounds.

“To be in that group and to be in that family of guys, that’s what’s going to be the most memorable to me because all of those guys are Hall of Famers,” Haslem continued on joining the exclusive class of those to have their Heat jerseys retired. “I might not get in [the Hall of Fame]. But in my heart, in my soul, I’m just as loved and just as appreciated in this organization as any of those guys.”

The love was evident throughout the night, as Haslem spoke for 10 minutes during Friday’s halftime ceremony. He entered the night insisting he wouldn’t cry, but he started his speech with tears in his eyes behind his black sunglasses.

“You all got the money on me crying, don’t y’all? I know you all think I’m going to cry,” Haslem said to begin his speech before wiping his eyes. “Yeah, it’s hard. It’s hard. It’s hard. Heat Nation, it’s been an absolute honor, man.”

Halsem was too emotional to read the speech he prepared, instead going off script and thanking those who helped him along the way. Among those he thanked and mentioned during his speech were his wife Faith; his three sons, Kedonis, Elijah, and Josiah; Wade; Heat coach Erik Spoelstra; Heat assistant coaches Chris Quinn, Malik Allen, Eric Glass, Wayne Ellington and Caron Butler; Riley; the Arison family; his late father Johnnie Haslem; and his late agent Henry Thomas.

Haslem, who was born at Miami’s North Shore Medical Center and grew up in Liberty City before playing at Miami High, then dedicated a part of his speech to his hometown of Miami — the area code 305.

“Liberty City, Overtown, Little Havana, Little Haiti, everybody, tonight when this jersey goes up in the rafters, all of y’all coming with me,” Haslem said during the speech. “The love y’all show me in this city, I love you guys, I appreciate you guys. .... 305, you got to hold it up. You got to hold up the 305. Tonight, we all celebrate, 305.”

Haslem is only the third player to spend an entire NBA career lasting at least 20 seasons with one team. The others on that short list are Dirk Nowitzki (21 seasons with Dallas Mavericks) and Kobe Bryant (20 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers), and Haslem is the only one to do it in his hometown.

“Udonis Haslem, his force matters and it counted,” Riley said during Friday’s halftime ceremony. “And that’s one of the reasons why we’re hanging his jersey here today.”

The Heat presented gifts to Haslem before his speech, donating $50,000 to his foundation and presenting him with a commemorative jersey. The Heat also pulled out the three Kaseya Center seats that his late parents — father Johnnie Haslem, mother Debra Haslem, and step-mother Debra Wooten — would sit in to watch Haslem play and gave them to him.

“I thank those guys once again to be able to have those seats forever with my parents’ names on it,” Haslem said. “I could have never imagined that happening. I didn’t see that coming. That one took my left a little bit. But it was emotional, man. I’m thankful, I’m so thankful. Just nothing but gratitude right now.”

Teammates from all different chapters of Haslem’s long NBA career were at Kaseya Center on Friday to take in Haslem’s jersey retirement. Those in attendance included Wade, Mourning, Goran Dragic, Jason Williams, Dorell Wright, Mario Chalmers, Quentin Richardson and Shane Battier.

“When I turned around and I saw all my boys and all the love that I had, it just reminded me that even though I lost a couple people, I’m so blessed,” Haslem said.

Haslem began and ended the night just a few feet away from where he spent games last season. He watched the beginning of Friday’s game while sitting in courtside seats next to the Heat’s bench, and then caught the second half of the game from those same seats following the halftime ceremony.

The Heat made Haslem the center of the in-game experience, giving fans in attendance Haslem shirts and posters. The Heat even tweaked its pre-game introduction video to make it Haslem-themed

“He’s an anomaly,” Heat center Bam Adebayo said of Haslem. “He’s one of those people, they don’t come around often because there’s not a lot of opportunity for guys like that. So for him to have this moment, I’m blessed to be a part of it. I’m blessed that he’s my OG.”

The Heat ended up losing to the Hawks 109-108. But Haslem’s jersey retirement is the moment that will be remembered from Friday’s game for years to come.

“I earned it. It was not given,” Haslem said moments after watching his jersey go up in the rafters. “I had to work twice as hard just to have a seat at the table. So to finally see that, I hope that there’s somebody that can relate to this because I think all of us have been in situations where somebody has told us what we can’t do or what we’re not capable of, put a cap on us.”

Even though Haslem’s playing career is over and his Heat jersey is now retired, he’ll remain around the organization. The Heat hired him as the vice president of basketball development in November and he still hopes to become part of the Heat’s ownership group one day.

“To be able to get out, make it, excel and succeed, I hope it’s a great example for other kids in Miami, in Liberty City and for my kids, as well,” Haslem said. “... This is a dream come true.”