The Miami Heat’s preparation for the Friday night celebration has been revealed: The entire Kaseya Center has special jerseys on the seats that bear the initials of Udonis Haslem with the number 40 on them. The Heat have found an amazing way to honor their icon with this nostalgic nod to Haslem. Each jersey is hung on the back of the seats in the bleachers and bears UD’s special signature with the number 40 also signed on it. These jerseys will be sure to send a wave of franchise loyalty through Heat fans.

This is a special step marking the celebratory act of retiring Haslem’s No. 40. The Heat will contest the Atlanta Hawks, and Haslem’s ceremony will be held during halftime. The game, with this ceremony, will grab more eyeballs. It would be a crowning victory for the Miami Heat if the team defeats the Hawks as well, like they did last Friday.

UD has definitely earned this honor, as he has had a stellar career with the Miami Heat.

How did Haslem perform?

Haslem reached the peak of his career during the first ten years with the Heat. He was exceptionally good at defense, sometimes clocking up rebounds as high as 9 per match as he did during the 2004-05 time. His points score reached their zenith when he smashed his highest average of 12 points per game during the 2007-08 season. He played an important part of the Heat roster, especially during his first 8-9 years with the franchise.

He will forever be etched in the memories of Heat fans for his title-clinching performance in June 2006 when he grabbed an unforgettable 17 points with 10 rebounds. The game was the sixth one in the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.

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With this, Haslem gave the impetus for his team to bag their first-ever NBA Championship title. As for his personal record, Haslem notched up a fiery 28 in November 2006 during a clash against the New Jersey Nets. Perhaps, November has brought a lot of luck to the Florida-born. 

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He surpassed Alonzo Mourning to become the rebounding leader for his franchise with 4,808 rebounds in November 2012. However, during the latter part of his career as is the case with many athletes, age got the better of him and he struggled at times to make it to the playing five of the franchise. Nonetheless, he played for an entire 20 years for the Heat and won three national championship titles with them. 

Overall, Haslem averaged a decent 7.5 points per contest in the 879 games he played. Additionally, he grabbed a remarkable 6.6 rebounds per game and justified his position on the team with his shooting skills. Haslem pocketed 75.6% free throw percentage and 48.9% field goal percentage.

With this honorable act of retiring the jersey, Haslem can expect an eternal legacy with the Heat.

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