Udonis Haslem has announced his retirement from professional basketball at the age of 43, after an illustrious 20-season career with the Miami Heat.
Having won three NBA championships, Haslem joins the exclusive group of players who have spent 20 seasons with a single team, following in the footsteps of Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) and Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers).
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Additionally, he becomes the 10th player in NBA history to reach the milestone of playing at least 20 seasons in the league.
Over the course of 879 games, Haslem has maintained solid NBA career averages of 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds.
Udonis Haslem’s retirement announcement
“20 years… it’s impossible to put into words what these past 20 years have meant, but y’all know me, I’m damn sure gonna try…” Haslem wrote in a post on Instagram.
“I consider myself extremely blessed to say I can leave this game with no regrets. The championships, the accolades, the brotherhood, man, it’s hard not to be at peace.
“Undrafted to a 3x Champion, All-Rookie 2nd Team, Teammate Of The Year, the oldest player to play in an NBA finals game, Miami Heat’s all-time leading rebounder and longest-tenured player, the list goes on…
“Shout out to my Real OGs, the teammates that let me be their OG, and to my family for staying ten toes down through it all.
“Although this journey has had its ups and downs, I am truly thankful and have no complaints at all, all the way down to leaving money on the table to stay in my city! You, Miami, made it all worth it!
“I will always be the OG, but now it’s time for the family man and the businessman to get to work…
“No.40, see you in the rafters soon. Until then, OG out.”
