Udonis Haslem’s playing career is over, but his time with the Miami Heat organization isn’t. The Heat has added Haslem to its front office, hiring him as the vice president of basketball development. The news was announced the team on Tuesday afternoon.
Haslem’s responsibilities will include being a source to the coaching staff, mentoring both Heat and Sioux Falls Skyforce (the Heat’s G League affiliate) players, as well as representing the organization in the community and in business endeavors. Haslem, 43, joins the organization in a new role just five months after his playing career came to an end in June following a 20-year NBA career spent entirely with the Heat.
“Born and raised in Miami, UD has been an integral part of the success of the Heat for 20 years,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement issued by the team. “It’s great that he has chosen to continue to build on his incredible legacy here in Miami, where he belongs.” Haslem has been an active participant in recent Heat practices this season, but the hiring defines his role and gets him back on the team’s payroll.
This also represents an alternate path for Haslem to stay with the Heat after his initial hope to become part of the team’s ownership group didn’t materialize. Haslem is still hopeful he’ll one day be able to join the Heat’s ownership group led by the father-son duo of managing general partner Micky Arison and chief executive officer Nick Arison. This is also a position that keeps Haslem around Heat players but off the coaching staff. He made it clear in recent years that he did not want to become a coach in retirement.
“I love it,” Spoelstra said last month of Haslem’s assistance at practices, with the Heat set to open a four-game trip on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum (8 p.m., Bally Sports Sun). “UD is going to be around and he’s going to serve a lot of different capacities for our organization — downstairs and upstairs. “But I love having him in the gym, I love having him in the locker room. I love having him in any kind of role. We’re going to figure this out. It’s an open canvas. He doesn’t want to be called a coach. I don’t care what we call him, I just want him around. We’ll figure out what that’s going to look like. But I love when he’s around in a practice or shootaround, all those things.”
Haslem’s goal remains the same even in retirement: help the Heat win a championship. Haslem was on Miami’s roster for each of the franchise’s three NBA titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013. “Literally, nothing has changed,” Haslem said to the Miami Herald last month. “Obviously, I just stepped to the side a little bit. But nothing has changed about myself and my mindset and what I would like to do as far as helping that organization win a championship. That doesn’t change.”
Along with his new role with the Heat, Haslem also began his broadcasting career during his first few months as a retired player. He served as a guest analyst for TNT’s broadcast of the Heat’s preseason road matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 13. Haslem, a Miami native who spent the previous 16 seasons as a Heat captain, is only the third player to spend an entire NBA career lasting at least 20 seasons with one team. The others on that short list are Dirk Nowitzki (21 seasons with Dallas Mavericks) and Kobe Bryant (20 seasons with Los Angeles Lakers), and Haslem is the only one to do it in his hometown.
Undrafted out of Florida in 2002, Haslem is the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder. He’s the only undrafted player in NBA history to lead a franchise in total rebounds. Along with holding the title of the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder, he’s also the team’s all-time leader in offensive and defensive rebounds and also ranks among Miami’s all-time leaders in games played (second), minutes (second) and field goals made (fifth). Haslem joins Alonzo Mourning (Heat vice president of player programs), Shane Battier (Heat strategic advisor), Chris Quinn (Heat assistant coach), Malik Allen (Heat assistant coach), Caron Butler (Heat assistant coach), Wayne Ellington (Heat player development coach), Glen Rice (scout/team ambassador) and Keith Askins (director of college and pro scouting) as former Heat players currently with the organization in other roles.
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