![]() Almost immediately, he stood out for his dedication, durability and effort. Haslem proved just as reliable a contributor after signing with Miami the following year. ![]() But Haslem shed 50lbs in eight months while posting 16 points and close to 10 rebounds a game. His hoops dream could’ve ended with that final shot, in the secret birthplace of photography. The next best offer came from a pro team in France, and he arrived in Chalon-sur-Saône tipping the scales at nearly 300lbs. The Atlanta Hawks cut him just before that season tipped, after he had played on their summer league team and stayed on through training camp. He was passed over for the 2002 draft, most teams deeming the 6ft 6in Florida Gators linchpin too short for a power forward spot. Haslem certainly didn’t project as a three rings-winning franchise cornerstone or even a league mainstay. The roles could have easily been reversed. On the same night the older man shuffled through Miami’s remaining set plays, Wade sat courtside in street clothes scrolling through his phone. Haslem came into the league the same year Miami drafted Dwyane Wade, the long-retired Heat star who is nearly two years Haslem’s junior. What’s more, he’s a Sunshine State lifer with an on-court legacy that goes back almost 30 years to the two state titles he won at Miami Senior High School. Like LeBron James, Haslem has been an NBA fixture since the naughties.īut while the King has bounced around the league and even started alongside Haslem for four of the Heat’s runs to the NBA finals, Haslem follows Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant on the shortlist of players to log 20 or more seasons with the same franchise. If there’s a single player who embodies Heat Culture – the gritty, never-say-die spirit that is the team’s defining trademark‚ it’s Haslem, the Miami native who marks his 43rd birthday on Friday as the Heat host the Nuggets once more in hopes of drawing even in the series again. ![]()
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