Miami Heat Sends Udonis Haslem ‘Rocking’ Home as Forward Ends 20-Year Career

Miami Heat Sends Udonis Haslem ‘Rocking’ Home as Forward Ends 20-Year Career

With the current NBA season coming to an end as the playoffs are starting, the career of Miami Heat’s Udonis Halem has come to a delightful end.

According to USA Today, Halem had a career game to place the exclamation point to his 20-year career with the Heat to a fitting end. For the last game of his storied NBA career, the forward scored the most points he’s had in over 14 years. The Heat won their final regular season game, 123-110 as Halem put in 24 points, the most he has scored since Nov. 2009, when he totaled 28 points.

Haslem, who has played his entire career with the Miami Heat, was given a send-off present before the start of the season-ending game in Miami. His teammates gave him a surprise gift that may be a perfect fit for him. A rocking chair.

The team’s mascot brought it out for him as the crowd acknowledged him prior to Sunday’s game against the Orlando Magic.

Teammate Heat center Bam Adebayo interrupted the presentation to give Haslem his going away gift.

“There you go man, take your seat,” Adebayo stated as Haslem tried it out.

When the reserve forward was taken out of the game with 58.9 seconds left, he received a well-deserved standing ovation from the Miami crowd. He finished the game shooting 9-for-17 from the floor and 3-for-7 from 3-point range.

With his playing days now over, Haslem is the all-time leading rebounder for the Heat and he has won three championships with the team. He also becomes the third basketball player to play his whole career of at least 20 years, with one team. The other two are Dirk Nowitzki, who was with the Dallas Mavericks his whole career, and the late Kobe Bryant who only wore the Los Angeles Lakers jersey.

When he checked into his last game, at 42 years and 304 days old, Haslem became the fifth-oldest player to appear in an NBA game. He surpassed Dikembe Mutombo, who was 42 years, and 300 days old when he last appeared in an NBA game.

The team is planning to retire his No. 40 jersey sometime next season.

Miami Heat Sends Udonis Haslem ‘Rocking’ Home as Forward Ends 20-Year Career