Shaquille O’Neal, being the avid social media user that he is, shared a wholesome moment from Udonis Haslem’s jersey retirement ceremony. Taking to Instagram, O’Neal shared a reel to his story in which Haslem is revealing his admiration for Dwyane Wade.
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Even though Udonis Haslem wasn’t an All-Star, the Miami Heat rewarded UD for his 20-year service with a jersey retirement. Being the sixth player to have his jersey retired by the franchise, Haslem dished out quite an emotional speech. During his speech, the 43-year-old shared a wholesome moment as he gave a shoutout to Dwyane Wade.
The three-time NBA champ lauded Wade for enabling the dreamer in him. Further, the 6ft 8” Heat legend also credited all of his current success – TV & business – to D-Wade.
“Dwyane, boy, there’s no way I’m sitting here without you right now. Because I used to think you was crazy for how big you used to dream. But you weren’t crazy at all. You showed me how to dream and I appreciate that, dawg. All the things that I’m doing now, TV, business, and all these opportunities because I watched you, bro. You had it figured out way before me.”
Shaquille O’Neal wanted to bless his followers with some wholesome content. Hence, the Big Aristotle shared this reel to his story, showcasing love to his former teammates.
Shaq had a brief four-year stint playing for the Miami Heat. During the 2004-2008 period, the 7ft 1” center shared the locker room with Wade and Haslem. While D-Wade was the best player during their 2006 championship run, Shaq explained how he won that specific title because of Udonis Haslem.
“He is the reason I got number 4. This guy is the reason I got number 4. One his hard work, his dedication, his loyalness, and we all know he is an enforcer right, he enforced me not to whoop some ass on that team,” Shaq credits UD for his fourth title.
During the 2006 playoffs, Udonis averaged merely 8.6 PPG and 7.4 RPG. The numbers are no different across his 20-year career, as he averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. However, it is heartwarming to see how the likes of Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal appreciate him for all of his contributions, on and off the court.
Dwyane Wade has spoken highly of Udonis Haslem on numerous occasions
Dwyane Wade was present at Udonis Haslem’s final regular season game. Back in April of 2023, as the Miami Heat hosted the Orlando Magic, Wade was one of the esteemed personalities present courtside. During the course of the game, The Flash enlightened viewers of the loving, brother-like relationship that he shared with UD. Further, the guard also spoke about Haslem’s impact on the franchise’s success.
“People talk about Hall of Fame careers but they don’t talk about role player careers and what they mean for the team and for the franchise,” Wade said.
Wade also took some time in his Hall-of-Fame speech to recognize Haslem for having a huge influence on his career. D-Wade mentioned how the two learned to become leaders and also admitted that Udonis Haslem would protect him on and off the court.
“My brother UD and I, we learned how to be selfless leaders. But, the protection he provided me on and off the court, provided the safety of a big brother and it allowed me to bloom and blossom,” Wade said.
Udonis Haslem was a role player, at best. However, being loyal to the franchise for two decades, winning three titles, and being the franchise’s rebound leader deserves Haslem’s jersey to be retired.
