Sacrificial Lamb for LeBron James’ Legacy, Udonis Haslem Gets Love From Ex-Heat Teammate Upon Jersey Retirement

The Miami Heat recently retired Udonis Haslem’s jersey. The NBA veteran was an important figure for the Miami franchise and has contributed immensely to the well-known Heat Culture. However, there were times when he was used as a sacrificial lamb for the same franchise as well.

The Heat was once the home for the Big 3 in the league, and assembling and keeping that crew needed some sacrifices being made by someone in the team. That someone at the time, happened to be Haslem.

LeBron James congratulates Udonis Haslem

Regardless of the history there, one member of the Big 3 recently congratulated the Heat legend for his jersey retirement. LeBron James shared a picture of Haslem on his Instagram Story with the caption, “Congrats my dog. That’s major. Love bro.” So, whatever might have been the case at one point in history, these NBA stars seem to be no longer bothered by it. However, that doesn’t mean that Haslem didn’t have to take a pay cut to accommodate the team. In addition to that, the Big 3 also ensured that they accommodated the big brother of the Heat so he doesn’t have to switch teams.

During a podcast appearance in 2023, he said, “But the fact that Bron, CB, and D-Wade all collabed to take less money to make that $20 [million] available for me, it said enough, because they didn’t have to do that. Dwyane understood. Bron and CB don’t know me from a can of paint. They ain’t ever played with me, they don’t know nothing about me. But the fact that they was able to say, ‘Okay, cool. We need him. We need him to win.’ That let me know I got to get them boys they money worth”.

Read More: Struck With Life-Altering Tragedy, Udonis Haslem Asserts on Not Shedding a Single Tear at Heat Jersey Retirement Honor

While the Big 3 did their duty to keep Haslem within the team, the franchise went on to have one of the best runs in recent NBA history. Going to four consecutive finals and winning two NBA titles was one of the highlights of that era. Although most people credit that era to the three players, Haslem believes that he also made some major contributions to their success.

During a 2021 interview, he said, “I don’t care what nobody say, I had my moments and we don’t win none of those rings without me. I did my job and that’s all you can do.” Regardless of what anyone believes, Haslem is a true Heat legend and the recent jersey retirement honor proves it.

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