MIAMI — It will be nostalgia week for the Miami Heat in mid-January, with the team announcing Friday that Udonis Haslem’s No. 40 jersey will be sent to the rafters at Kaseya Center on Jan. 19, a ceremony that will come five days after the Heat on Jan. 14 honor Dwyane Wade being inducted this past summer into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The events were timed to coincide so Wade could be in attendance for the jersey ceremony honoring his three-time Heat championship co-collaborator. Wade will be honored at halftime of the Jan. 14 home game against the Charlotte Hornets, Haslem at halftime of the Jan. 19 game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Haslem’s No. 40 will become the sixth Heat number retired by the Heat, joining the No. 33 of Alonzo Mourning, No. 10 of Tim Hardaway, No. 32 of Shaquille O’Neal, No. 1 of Chris Bosh and No. 3 of Wade.
The Heat are expected to retire the No. 6 of LeBron James, which has not been reissued since his 2014 departure, upon James’ NBA retirement. The NBA, as a league, also has honored No. 6 for the legacy of late Boston Celtics championship center Bill Russell..
The Heat also have retired the No. 23 in honor of Michael Jordan’s contributions to the game, with Dan Marino’s No. 13 Miami Dolphins jersey hanging at Kaseya Center in tribute to his work in South Florida. Heat center Bam Adebayo wears No. 13.
Haslem retired last season after 20 years with the Heat, serving as team captain from 2007 until his retirement.
“It’s about a great legacy,” Heat President Pat Riley said, “a thank-you moment that has been earned over 20 years of being an incredible championship player and most importantly, the best leader.
“He’s going to have his day, and I can’t wait to see his jersey hang in the rafters.”
Haslem, who was signed by the Heat in the 2003 offseason following a season in France after going undrafted out of the University of Florida in 2002, has been a regular presence around the Heat since his retirement, working with the team during practices and game-day shootarounds.
He recently rejoined the team as vice president of basketball development, a role that team defined as “being a resource to the coaching staff, mentoring both Heat and (G League) Skyforce players as well as representing the organization in the community and in business endeavors.”
Haslem, 43, is one of only three NBA players to play at least 20 years solely with one franchise, joining Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki, becoming the only undrafted player in NBA history to become their team’s all-time rebound leader. His 5,791 rebounds are the fourth-most among undrafted players in what the NBA terms the modern-draft era (starting in 1966), trailing only Moses Malone, Ben Wallace and Brad Miller.
In addition to being the Heat’s all-time rebounding leader, Haslem ranks second in games played, second in starts, second in minutes, fifth in field goals made, fifth in double-doubles, seventh in points, ninth in field-goal percentage, 10th in blocks and 11th in steals. Among Heat postseason leaders, he ranks first in offensive rebounds, second in total rebounds, second in games played, third in defensive rebounds, third in starts, third in minutes, fifth in double-doubles, seventh in field goals made, seventh in free throws made, eighth in points, eighth in blocks and tied for ninth in double-figure scoring games.
Haslem’s 147 postseason appearances are the most by an undrafted player in NBA history.