Udonis Haslem is back at the Kaseya Center after his retirement in 2023, and it is for one of the biggest honors of his career. In the last few days, people around the Miami Heat organization have shared their positive thoughts on Haslem’s jersey retirement. Well, it’s time to know what the man of the night thinks about it too. Haslem started with a bold take to snub franchise icons Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and a few others for a big honor.

In his 20-year-long career, the 43-year-old has been a part of all the ups and downs the organization has faced. This second home of his considers him to be one of the locals, a guy next door, and a legend. This is where Haslem thinks he has surpassed the above-mentioned superstars.

He shared, “I think for me, you know obviously Dwyane will go down as one of the greatest players that ever put on a Heat jersey, Alonzo, Bron, Shaq, all these guys will go down as some of the greatest…but I think I’ll go down as the most loved player.”

That’s a bold take but most would agree with it! While Wade, James, and Shaq played key roles on the court during the 3 championship runs, Haslem made sure the Heat Culture was maintained from the sidelines. He never backed away from calling a teammate out, didn’t matter whether it was a franchise superstar such as Jimmy Butler or any other role player. But there might be another reason why Haslem feels he is loved the most.

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Nicknames given to Udonis Haslem that prove his point

Well, you could say that the Heat Nation loved James and Wade equally as both of them were the stars of the championships, winning Finals MVPs. Anyhow, nothing comes close to playing for 20 seasons with the same team. And that is exactly why the Heat fans gave him a few nicknames.

Haslem is famously known as the ‘Prince of Miami’ and ‘Captain Miami’, which he mentioned in an interview before the game today. The 43-year-old got this tag only because of his unmatched loyalty. Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, and Haslem are the only players who have played for a single organization for 20 years. President Pat Riley did not fail to mention this as well during Haslem’s jersey retirement today.

Well, now you might understand why Haslem feels he is loved the most. What are your thoughts on the above story? Share your take in the comments below.

Read more: “I Love You to Death Brother”: Udonis Haslem Holds Back Tears In Moving Confession About Dwyane Wade