Heat's Udonis Haslem confirms he plans to retire after season: 'I'm done no matter what happens'

Haslem has played 20 seasons for the Miami Heat

Udonis Haslem may not play much, but he is still technically a member of the Miami Heat. After over a decade as a key rotational big man for Miami, Haslem has evolved into a somewhat unique role over the past several years. Haslem has played less than 100 total minutes for the Heat every year since the 2017-18 season, yet he has become an integral part of the team's culture as a sort of pseudo-coach within the roster.

But now, that time is coming to an end. When Haslem re-signed with the Heat last offseason, he did so planning to make this his final season in the NBA. He confirmed those plans with Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald Sunday. "I'm done," Haslem said. "I'm done no matter what happens. I gave my contribution. I think at this stage, there needs to be another voice for these guys. It's time for somebody to step up and be the voice."

The Heat will honor Haslem in the coming weeks, and will eventually retire his number 40 jersey. When he does eventually retire from the team, Haslem will have played a total of 20 seasons for the Heat without ever having left. Only Dirk Nowitzki's 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks top that figure. Haslem and the Heat faced Nowitzki and the Mavericks in the NBA Finals in both 2006 and 2011.

Haslem is a Miami native. He played college basketball at the University of Florida. Even if he was never a superstar for the Heat, he helped the team establish the culture it is known for and has become a fixture in the South Florida community. It will be the end of an era when he does officially hang it up after the season even if Heat fans haven't seen much of him on the court for several years now.