Udonis Haslem returned to Miami Heat practice on Monday, two days after his father died. The Miami Heat player was visibly emotional and had a difficult time speaking about the loss of his father during a press conference before practice.
Udonis Haslem returns to Miami Heat practice after mourning father’s death. In a surprising move, the Miami Heat have brought back veteran forward Udonis Haslem to practice on Wednesday.
MIAMI, Fla. — During practice on Sunday, Udonis Haslem and Bam Adebayo were screaming at one other, which was a crucial step for the Heat.
It indicated that everything had returned to normal. Their commander has returned.
At 41 years old, Haslem is the NBA’s oldest active player. He returned to practice on Sunday for the first time since training camp started almost two weeks ago. He had been gone while mourning his father’s loss, and the Heat had been well aware of his absences.
Haslem described it as “perhaps the hardest moment I’ve ever had to confront, the greatest struggle I’ve ever encountered.” “I have no reservations in declaring that my father is and will always be my closest friend. So, after losing my mother 12 years ago, I assumed I’d always have my father.
“Everything you see on the basketball court — all the dunks, the fire, the passion, the ability to inspire others to follow you and believe in themselves — that’s all my father, dude. That is exactly who he is. That’s exactly who he was.”
His kid has been the Heat’s go-to man since 2003.
Haslem’s playing time is dwindling; he only played in one game last season and was dismissed after little over two minutes on the court. Because of his leadership on the practice court and in the locker room, the Heat still want him on the roster. His one-year, $2.8 million deal is his 10th with the Heat in a 19-year career, and there are those inside the organization who want him to return for a 20th.
Udonis Haslem missed two weeks of Heat workouts due to his father’s passing, and the team was understanding. Wilfredo Lee/AP/Wilfredo Lee/Wilfredo Lee/Wilfredo Lee/Wil
Haslem urged players not to attend his father’s burial last month because he didn’t want to disrupt their training camp preparations. Several Heat players and coaches attended nonetheless, including coach Erik Spoelstra, who was Haslem’s main contact throughout his absence. Other tributes and reminders to Haslem that he was constantly on the team’s mind included Adebayo ditching his No. 13 jersey in practice to wear Haslem’s No. 40.
“We wanted to give him his privacy and respect,” Spoelstra said, “so the communication was mainly coming via me and UD so he wasn’t getting 100-plus text messages a day.” “We’re ecstatic to have him back with us. It’s beneficial to both us and him. With his presence, energy, and voice, our gym felt fantastic.”
Johnnie Haslem, Haslem’s father, died on Aug. 30 at the age of 70. The older Haslem was a great basketball player at Miami Northwestern in high school, went on to lead Stetson in scoring and rebounds as a senior in 1973-74, and played semipro basketball after college. His kid claims that he patterns his game completely after his father’s, including wearing No. 40 as his father did.
“It’ll be difficult to go ahead without him, but I’m ready,” Haslem remarked. “I was reared by my parents, and I’ve gone through enough to know that I can weather any storm.”
After his father’s passing, Haslem stated he never contemplated not returning to the Heat. All he needed was some time.
“I needed to go back to a place where I could assist these people while still being a leader, captain, and the person they want me to be,” Haslem said. “That was the adventure. Today was a terrific day. It wasn’t easy, and I’m still working on it.”
Udonis Haslem returned to Miami Heat practice after mourning father’s death. Haslem was a very important part of the Miami Heat, and he will be missed. Reference: udonis haslem contract.
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