Udonis Haslem recently went through a heartbreaking tragedy. Losing his ‘guardian angel’, the woman who cheered for him all along, left a void in his life. After the passing of his stepmom, Haslem has become numb, but he strives to continue to go on for her and the things she held close.

Amidst all of this, he is about to receive an incredible honor from the Miami Heat. The franchise is set to retire his jersey, making him one of the seven players to have this honor. However, even on his big day, he will feel the emptiness of not having his parents by his side.

Udonis Haslem’s big day will feel hollow to him

Recently when he was asked how he feels about not having his parents on this big day, he said “That’s really tough. For me, I just lost my step-mom a few weeks ago. So I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure that one out. I’m sure they’re happy and I’m sure they’re smiling. All I can say is, thank you. Thank you.” The ex-Heat star reflected on the time he had with his father and talked about how his old man poured confidence into him from the very beginning.

He said, “My dad, for one, you talk about somebody who just never believes they can lose. My dad just always believed in himself and he believed in me when nobody else did. So the unbelievable belief that I had in myself to overcome and overachieve, when I’ve been down so many times to get up and keep going, I get that from my dad.” The Heat legend talked about his mother and her struggles with addiction that she had to overcome so she could be a part of his life.

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Haslem said that she defined the true meaning of grit for him as she was able to get clean and embrace the life that her son had ready for her. He also talked about his stepmom, his guardian angel, who was there for him even when nothing looked good. He said, “So many people are selfish, but you talk about somebody who’s selfless. She really opened up her doors to a kid who wasn’t hers and treated him as hers and gave them everything and then some so they could be successful.”

Haslem said that he “wouldn’t be here without them” and the impact and influence all three of his parents have had on him will always remain relevant in his life.

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