Gator great Udonis Haslem scores 24 points in final NBA regular-season game
All good things must come to an end the adage says and for former Florida center Udonis Haslem, his 20-year run in the National Basketball Association finally came to a close on Sunday against the Orlando Magic. He put up 24 points in 25 minutes for the Miami Heat in the final game of the regular season.
While the 6-foot-8-inch frontcourt bruiser never earned any significant personal accolades, he was a part of three championship-winning teams during his two-decade tenure with the only NBA team that he ever played for. Haslem’s court time diminished precipitously in the final seven years of his career but he still found ways to contribute both on and off the court.
“I’m going to miss his spirit,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said according to ESPN. “I’m going to miss his voice. I’m going to miss his intentions. He has incredible, pure, team intentions. Every single day. He doesn’t have a bad day. He may express himself with anger other times at his teammates or even with me, but his intentions are pure.
“He doesn’t have bad days, there’s not a moodiness, he doesn’t come in with any kind of baggage. It’s pure. It’s always about winning. How can he help somebody else? How can he help the team? How can he help mentor? That’s what keeps his mind going constantly.”
Haslem went undrafted in the 2002 NBA draft and opted to play in France with Chalon-Sur-Saône of the French LNB Pro A to kick off his professional career. He arrived across the pond weighing nearly 300 pounds but managed to shed 50 of those pounds over the course of eight months, opening the door for a return to the States.
The Heat signed him as a free agent ahead of the 2003 season and Haslem participated in numerous rookie events, ultimately earning NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The Gators alumnus played in 879 career NBA games — starting 501 of them — averaging 7.5 points on 48.9% shooting from the floor and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Heat.
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