If you don’t know Udonis Haslem’s nickname it’s “Mr. 305”. Boss nickname right? I think so. He was born in Miami, went to a Miami high school, went to the University of Florida and besides spending one year in France, he’s been a legitimate Miami lifer. It’s an interesting story.
Haslem has recently re-signed with the Heat, making it a franchise record 14th season with the team, but it will be his first without his co-captain, Dwyane Wade. Like all of us, Haslem is going to feel a little weird knowing DWade is going to rock another jersey and he believes this all could’ve been avoided.
“I never envisioned finishing it without my brother,” Haslem said to reporters Tuesday on a conference call. “But I think the 13 years that I spent with him, the 13 years that I’ve spent playing with some of the greatest players in the league, the 13 years that I’ve spent in this organization has prepared me for the next step and that’s to lead this next group of guys and the next generation.”
“Obviously, I wanted him to come back,” Haslem said. “But I know there were a lot of things he was feeling that he was burying for a while that just came to a head this particular summer. For whatever reason, the organization and him couldn’t come to an agreement. In hindsight, I don’t know if I should have handcuffed him like Chris Paul did with DeAndre Jordan and made him change his mind. I don’t know if there’s anything I could have done or should have done. I felt like it could have been avoided but for whatever reason it just wasn’t.”
It has sunk in for me now but I saw some Heat-centric pages getting the hashtag #BringBackWade on Twitter. Lets not be silly now, it’s happened, accept it. Udonis will have to retire without his brother by his side.
