Udonis Haslem

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Haslem was born in Miami. His father, John, played college basketball for the Stetson Hatters from 1972 to 1974. His mother, Debra, was Puerto Rican. Haslem attended Wolfson High School in Jacksonville, Florida, then Miami Senior High School in Miami. He helped lead Miami High to state titles in 1997 and 1998, playing alongside Steve Blake. The team was coached by Frank Martin. An investigation by the Miami New Times revealed that Haslem, Blake and several other players circumvented residency requirements; as a result, Miami High was stripped of its 1998 title and ordered to forfeit its entire schedule. Haslem accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Florida, where he played for coach Billy Donovan's Gators teams from 1998 to 2002. He was part of Donovan's 1998 recruiting class that included future Miami Heat teammate Mike Miller. Haslem's sophomore season saw the team advance to the NCAA championship game before falling to Michigan State. The Gators received NCAA tournament invitations four consecutive years during Haslem's college career—the first time in the program's history. Haslem averaged 13.7 points per game and 6.7 rebounds during his tenure. He was named to the coaches' All-SEC team four times. Haslem ranks third in team history in points scored (1,782) and tenth in rebounds (831). He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a 'Gator Great' in 2012.

In Their Own Story

The game clock ticked down in the final seconds of Game 6 of the 2006 NBA Finals. The Miami Heat were on the verge of their first NBA championship, leading the Dallas Mavericks. Udonis Haslem, the undrafted rookie from Miami who had signed with his hometown team three years earlier, grabbed a rebound and put back a shot, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Heat won 113–106, and Haslem had helped deliver the franchise's first title. Years later, in November 2012, Haslem passed Alonzo Mourning to become the franchise leader in total rebounds with 4,808. He was the first undrafted player to lead an NBA franchise in rebounding. In his final regular season game on April 9, 2023, at age 42, Haslem scored 24 points in 25 minutes during a 123–110 victory over the Orlando Magic. His three three-point shots in the game were a career-high. He then became the oldest person to play in the NBA Finals when he entered Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals with 29.8 seconds remaining, breaking the mark of 42 years, 58 days set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1989.

Reader's Guide

Haslem went undrafted in the 2002 NBA draft. He signed with Chalon-Sur-Saône of the French LNB Pro A, averaging 16.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. On August 6, 2003, Haslem signed with the Miami Heat. As a rookie, he earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. In 2004–05, he averaged 10.9 points and a career-high 9.1 rebounds. He helped the Heat win their first NBA Championship in 2006. Haslem scored a career-high 28 points on November 10, 2006. Since the 2007–08 season, he was the team captain. In July 2010, he signed a five-year deal worth approximately $20 million to remain with the Heat. In November 2010, he sustained a torn ligament in his foot, sidelining him for the rest of the regular season. He helped the Heat win championships in 2012 and 2013. In November 2012, Haslem passed Alonzo Mourning to become the franchise leader in total rebounds. After the 2013 NBA Finals, Haslem revealed he had played through much of the second half of the 2012–13 season with a torn right meniscus. In 2013–14, his on-court time diminished. He re-signed with the Heat on a two-year deal in July 2014, transitioning into a 'player-coach' role. He re-signed on one-year deals in 2016, 2017, and 2018. On August 6, 2019, he re-signed on a one-year contract. During the 2019–20 season, he became the 30th player in league history to play after turning 40, and the first modern era undrafted player to do so. Following Vince Carter's retirement, Haslem became the oldest active player in the NBA. The Heat reached the 2020 NBA Finals, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers; Haslem was on the active roster but did not play in the postseason. On November 28, 2020, he re-signed with the Heat. He played in one game in the 2020–21 season, on May 13, 2021, against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring four points in two minutes before getting ejected after a scuffle with Dwight Howard, making him the oldest player to be ejected in an NBA game (age 40).

Did You Know?

• Haslem is one of only three players in NBA history to play at least 20 years with one team.
• He is the first undrafted player to lead an NBA franchise in rebounding.
• Haslem became the oldest active player in the NBA after Vince Carter's retirement in 2020.