Who could have imagined this 22 years ago? Clearly not the interested party! Undrafted, and while he began his career in France, Udonis Haslem will be in the spotlight this evening, at halftime of the meeting between the Heat and the Hawks, since his jersey flocked with the number 40 will join the ceiling of the room. Three-time NBA champion with his lifelong franchise, Udonis Haslem is only the 6th player in Heat history to have his jersey retired, after Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.
Unlike the others, he was never an All-Star, and he was never a star for that matter. But he was a pillar of the Heat for twenty years, and Pat Riley wanted to pay tribute to him a few months after his retirement from sports.
An example for the vast majority of players
“This is huge, not only for me, but for my family and obviously for the city of Miami,” recalls Udonis Haslem. “There's being a city kid and not doing things the traditional way. I've faced a lot of adversity, not being drafted, not being what people consider popular. I think there will be more kids who watch my story and can relate to it, because not everyone can be a LeBron James or a Kevin Durant. Most people will have to be someone like me, who has to overcome obstacles and work a lot harder. »
At Miami Herald, he admits that he has to pinch himself to believe it. When he left university, he never imagined becoming an icon in one of the most prestigious franchises of the moment.
“It’s still crazy. I'd be lying if I said that when I started this journey years ago, when I was drafted by the Miami Heat after going undrafted, I saw myself with my jersey retired in twenty years.” replies Dwyane Wade's former teammate. “It's just the result of giving your best, coming to work every day, doing your best, not accepting mediocrity, not accepting that others will change you and always believe in yourself.”
His best career season? The last !
As a driving force for his career, Udonis Haslem used the fact of not having been drafted. “I already had my head on my shoulders. But not being drafted created an incredible feeling that I never lost. Even when I won a title, I never lost this pride. I never forgot that I wasn't drafted. »
What if he only had to keep one season among the twenty spent with the Heat?
“Last season! » assures Udonis Haslem, now vice-president of the Heat. “I couldn't have asked for a better time to leave. The journey has been incredible. I have nothing but gratitude for how I was able to be in charge until the end. It's not often that you get the opportunity to finish in the driver's seat. We often don't get picked up or don't receive a call. I had the opportunity to finish the way I wanted. I had the opportunity to play my last match at home. I obviously played well. Then I had the opportunity to participate in the Finals during the last season of my career. Could I be upset that we didn't win it? Yes, I could. But this is probably one of the only times in life where you will see me accept not winning a title. It was a hell of a season. I will never forget this season. »
