After over a decade of playing side by side, the bond between Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade is stronger than ever. The Miami Heat celebrated Wade’s legacy at Kaseya Center on Sunday, where Haslem took the stage to honor his longtime friend. “I’m just happy and I’m honored to be a part of your journey,” Haslem said. As fans were soaking up the heartfelt moment, Haslem shared a story no one saw coming—his and Wade’s hilarious first encounter, which started in a dentist’s chair.

During his speech, Haslem didn’t just highlight Wade’s legacy, but also the special bond they share with the city of Miami. “When I walk around this city and I get love, 50% of that love is because of you,” Haslem said, making it clear just how intertwined their paths have been. But then came the real kicker.

“When I met him, I swear to God, he had 12 cavities in his mouth, y’all.” As the camera zoomed in on Wade’s face, you could see him heartily laughing at the embarrassing moment. His wife, Gabrielle Union, had a look of disgust on her face, though. “We spent the first day together in the goddamn dentist,” Haslem added, cracking everyone up.

As Wade and Union continued laughing, Haslem highlighted Wade’s transformation over the years. “Excuse my language, everybody, but I was in the dentist waiting for him for six hours. Six hours! This is the man who I got to know, who’s grown into a fashion icon, a leader, an entrepreneur, and a father,” Haslem said at the event, showing just how much Wade has evolved since that fateful first meeting.

The Flash also opened up about his dental issues in the D.Wade: Life Unexpected documentary which was released in 2020. The show revealed that Wade could not visit a dentist regularly because he was so broke. He had 13 cavities during his first visit in years due to this.

Interestingly, Dwyane Wade has also previously shared his perspective on meeting Haslem. “The first day I met UD, I came to training camp for Summer League the year I got drafted,” Wade recalled in a Sports Illustrated interview. “I was watching this guy flying out of bounds, running through people with such intensity. I asked someone, ‘Who is that dude?’ and they said, ‘Udonis Haslem.’ And I was like, ‘The fat dude from Florida?!’”

Despite their very different starts—Wade as a celebrated rookie and Haslem as an undrafted player who had to play in France for a year—the two clicked almost instantly.

Udonis Haslem-Dwayne Wade bond

“We were thrust into workouts together,” Haslem recalled in a 2019 interview. Their routine was intense—track sessions, weight room workouts, basketball drills, and even lunch breaks at Alonzo Mourning’s youth center. It was nonstop, day after day, creating a bond that went beyond just basketball.

Interestingly, it wasn’t just the workouts that brought them closer. Haslem said, “Literally, we spent seven days a week together that summer and found out how much stuff we had in common.”

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Dwyane Wade also echoed those sentiments, sharing how they were “two young guys in training camp together.” In those early days, it was just the two of them working out, pushing each other, and building something solid. They’d even hit up bars together, with Wade becoming a Miami Hurricanes fan just to hang out with Haslem.

Over time, as Wade said, they started sharing stories and found they had similar backgrounds. “When you’re around somebody every day, making sure you leave for practice on time… you build a relationship,” Wade added. And that’s exactly how their iconic bond started.