He’s not done yet. On Sunday, Udonis Haslem announced that he will return to the Heat for the 2022-23 season, marking his 20th (!) year in Miami.
The 42-year-old has become a staple of Heat culture, bringing a veteran presence to Miami’s bench over the last half-decade. Even though Haslem has only appeared in 42 regular season games over the past five years, Miami continues to bring him back as a coach-like figure and mentor to the younger players on the roster.
Haslem, who announced his return at his alma mater, Miami Senior High School, declared that he is dedicating his final season to his late father, who passed away a year ago.
“Got one more in me for Pop. Got one more in me for the city. Got one more in me for the team,” Haslem said, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.
“Won’t be the same, won’t be as easy. Goal still remains the same — Win. Win a championship. Leave it on the line and hold your head high when it’s all over.”
Haslem is looking to add to his three championships with the Heat, winning it all in 2006 alongside Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, and going back-to-back in 2012 and 2013 alongside Miami’s Big 3 of Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
Spending 20 seasons with one franchise, Haslem enters rarefied air in NBA history, joining Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki as the only players to achieve the feat.
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Which NBA Players have had the longest tenure with one franchise?
Nowitzki passed Bryant’s record for the most seasons with one franchise when he returned to the Mavericks for one final year in 2018-19.
Prior to Bryant becoming the first-ever player to spend 20 seasons with the same franchise, John Stockton and Tim Duncan were tied for that record, spending 19 seasons in Utah and San Antonio, respectively.
| Player | Team | No. of seasons | Years played |
| Dirk Nowitzki | Mavericks | 21 | 1998-2019 |
| Udonis Haslem | Heat | 20 | 2003-2023 |
| Kobe Bryant | Lakers | 20 | 1996-2016 |
| Tim Duncan | Spurs | 19 | 1997-2016 |
| John Stockton | Jazz | 19 | 1984-2003 |
| Reggie Miller | Pacers | 18 | 1987-2005 |
| Manu Ginobili | Spurs | 16 | 2002-2018 |
| John Havlicek | Celtics | 16 | 1962-1978 |
Who are the oldest players in the NBA?
Below is a list of the 10 oldest players who are slated to play in the 2022-23 NBA season.
Note: Free agents like Carmelo Anthony (38) and Andre Iguodala (38) are not included as their status for the upcoming season has not yet been determined.
| Name | Team | Age* | DOB | The NBA Experience |
| Udonis Haslem | Heat | 42 | 6/9/1980 | 20 |
| LeBron James | Lakers | 37 | 12/30/1984 | 20 |
| PJ Tucker | 76ers | 37 | 5/5/1985 | 12 |
| Chris Paul | Suns | 37 | 5/6/1985 | 18 |
| Taj Gibson | Wizards | 37 | 6/24/1985 | 14 |
| Kyle Lowry | Heat | 36 | 3/25/1986 | 17 |
| Goran Dragic | Bulls | 36 | 5/6/1986 | 15 |
| Garrett Temple | Pelicans | 36 | 5/8/1986 | 13 |
| Al Horford | Celtics | 36 | 6/3/1986 | 16 |
| Rudy Gay | Jazz | 36 | 8/17/1986 | 17 |
*Age on opening night, which falls on Oct. 18, 2022