Udonis Haslem Ends Emotional Night With Chilling Reminder for Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo: “I’m Still There”

Udonis Haslem has hit the finish line after a 20-year race with the Miami Heat and the Kaseya Center once again remembered the franchise icon tonight. The fans and the members of the Heat organization got emotional as they listened to Haslem’s farewell speech but everyone had one question in mind. How will Miami replace the impact Haslem had on the franchise? While it seems like a daunting task, the 43-year-old brought some ray of hope after he assured Heat stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo something huge.

Haslem tried his best not to cry. However, he had to remove his glasses as tears started to pour out. Anyhow, this didn’t mean he was saying goodbye. Haslem shared, “I’m still there…Bam, Jimmy, Tyler…still pushing expectations, championship expectations. I’m still going to be in all here man. I love you guys. I appreciate you guys,” as the entire crowd stood up for the legend.

It was a wholesome sight to watch Haslem give assurance to the younger superstars. On the back of Butler and Adebayo, the Heat have reached two Finals in the last four years. The team has established itself as one of the toughest in the league and no one wants to play them in the Playoffs. A lot of that credit goes to UD, who made sure the revered Heat Culture was respected.

While he didn’t play much of a part on the court during his last few years in the league, Haslem was always the locker room leader and someone each and every member of the franchise looked up to. Now, Adebayo is considered the closest to Haslem in terms of leadership abilities. The team will hope Haslem continues to train him off the court!

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Can Bam Adebayo be the next Udonis Haslem?

This is what the Heat fans believe. Adebayo has been playing a pivotal role for quite a few seasons now. With Haslem’s exit, his seat is empty, but it cannot be filled that easily. When Adebayo was asked if he was ready to take over what the 43-year-old left, he was hesitant and said it was a ‘big shoe to fill’. The young center believes Haslem is irreplaceable, which is fair. But the Heat will look to change his perspective very soon.

However, the captaincy is now in Adebayo’s hands. Haslem was questioned today on Adebayo “taking” the leadership. The 3x champion clarified that the captaincy was not taken, but given. This shows how much trust the veteran has in Adebayo.

Do you think Bam Adebayo is the next Udonis Haslem? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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