October 28 was historic for the Miami Heat, as they unveiled their first monument to one of the pillars of Heat Culture, Dwyane Wade, at the Kaseya Center. While the statue left a lot to be desired, the team’s sentiment toward some of its greatest icons is palpable. It was always a given that Dwyane Wade would be honored in this way, but questions are already arising about who will be next. The conversation is teetering between Udonis Haslem and LeBron James following D-Wade’s tribute, and it’s not far-fetched to say a minor fan war is brewing over who will receive a monument first.

Especially after both Wade and Pat Riley have expressed their favorite in this debate and it’s not Bron. With no disrespect to either the OG or the King, one Miami Heat legend deserves a statue first.

Miami Heat’s choice is the OG

Ahead of his statue’s unveiling, Dwyane Wade was frequently asked which Miami Heat legend he would like to share the honor with. There are a few names in the running, including Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James, both of whom played instrumental roles in bringing the first three championships to Miami. However, Shaq already has statues at the Lakers arena and LSU. He expressed excitement for Wade’s well-deserved honor, but O’Neal also believes that there is no Heat Culture without a certain someone.

That’s why even Wade said, “… It would be Udonis Haslem. His work that he’s done on the basketball court is hand in hand with what I’ve done. And I feel like what he’s done off the court has been second to none.”

On the day of, Pat Riley took the podium after Udonis Haslem hyped his little bro and brought up all the contributors to building Heat. But he directly pointed at Haslem and said, “… One day we will have that. Put up your statue up here…”

The Heat’s coach-turned-president’s words seem to confirm that Udonis Haslem will be the next figure to receive a monument at Kaseya Center. Earlier this year, the team paid tribute to his late parents and stepmother—who were constants in his career—by etching their favorite seats in the house in gold. So, this idea is not far-fetched.

But some probably will ask, what about LeBron? Firstly, UD’s honor doesn’t take away from what James has done in his short tenure at Miami or vice versa. But this is the honorary ‘Mayor of Miami!’

Udonis Haslem was born and raised in this city. He went to the University of Florida and played a year overseas before the Miami Heat, his hometown team, recruited him. With rookies like Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, Pat Riley built the Heat Culture. Shaq brought in the first championship energy and LeBron continued it. But even James knew the team couldn’t win those 2012 and 2013 titles.

Udonis Haslem’s loyalty deserves to be immortalized

Miami Heat needed an effective Big 3 to win another title after 2006. UD knew what he had to do for the city. He took a massive paycut – he would’ve been eligible for around $33 million – in 2010, leaving the franchise enough cap space to sign LeBron James along with Chris Bosh and extend Wade’s contract. The trio too took a collective discount so Miami could pay Haslem $20 million instead of less.

Haslem told LeBron that he’d give him his money’s worth, bouncing back from a torn ligament in the playoffs and leading the team to the 2011 Finals. Although they lost to the Mavericks that year, they returned the following season to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder for their second title. They were back again in 2013, beating the Spurs for another championship.

James returned to Cleveland after that but Haslem remained and the Heat rewarded him. He was finally paid his worth but his minutes were significantly going down. By the time Wade retired in 2019, outsiders argued that UD was not productive for a multi-million contract. The team disagreed.

Haslem remained an irreplaceable locker room presence as a veteran. He is vital to instill the Heat Culture in anyone who comes to the team. That’s why when he officially retired in 2023, they made him the Vice President of Basketball Development so he could continue as a veteran mentor to the players.

Contrasting the last years of UD’s career, Bron remains productive on the court. He’s a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame and will be eventually honored by the three teams he led to championships in some way or the other for sure.

However, Udonis Haslem’s story starts and continues in Miami. For his unwavering loyalty and his essential presence in the organization, he deserves his spot here as soon as the opportunity presents itself.