Miami Heat president Pat Riley welcomed 41-year-old veteran Udonis Haslem back to the franchise after officially re-signing for his 19th season in South Beach. The three-time NBA champ is once again returning on a veteran's minimum contract to play another season for the Heat which left the longtime exec more than thrilled.
“Mister Miami is back! Yes! Udonis Haslem has agreed to come back and play the game he loves so much,” Riley ecstatically said (via Ira Widerman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel). “What he loves more than that is to be on the court teaching and competing against the World's best. UD is a legacy player. ONE PLAYER, ONE CITY, ONE TEAM. Thank you.”
Pat Riley, "Mister Miami is back! Yes! Udonis Haslem has agreed to come back and play the game he loves so much. What he loves more than that is to be on the court teaching and competing against the World’s best. UD is a legacy player…ONE PLAYER, ONE CITY, ONE TEAM. Thank you."
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) August 16, 2021
As it stands, the legacy of UD in Miami will continue to be written. After being undrafted in the 2002 NBA Draft and eventually playing one year overseason, Haslem was signed by his hometown team in the 2003-2004 NBA Season where the forward immediately stamped his class. The Miami native ended up in the NBA All-Rookie Second Team at the end of his rookie season after helping the Heat go all the way to the ECF.
Haslem then became a perennial starter for the squad in the coming years and became a key member of the Heat winning three NBA titles in 2006, 2012, and 2013.
Although his role on the team has drastically shifted from his heydays in South Beach, his presence in and out of the court has never waivered. Haslem has been a hometown favorite for Heat Nation for the past few decades and it's only fitting that he gets one more crack at it as Miami tries to contend for their fourth title in two decades.
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