Welcome back, OG: Udonis Haslem to return for 20th season with Heat

Welcome back, Mr. 305.

Udonis Haslem, perhaps South Florida’s greatest representative as a sportsman, will return for a 20th season with the Miami Heat, he announced Sunday afternoon.

The contract details have yet to be disclosed, though it’s presumed it will be a minimum deal for just one year — as it will be his last season.

Haslem noted in his announcement that he intends to honor the commitment of playing 20 years that he shared with his late father, Johnnie, who passed away in Aug. of 2021.

Haslem, a graduate of Miami Senior High School in Miami, Fla., has been apart of all three of the Heat’s NBA Titles — in 2005-06, 2011-12 and 2012-13 — and will now be one of 12 players (assuming Carmelo Anthony signs with another team) to have played at least 20 seasons in the NBA. Haslem’s averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds in his NBA career.

With Haslem’s return, the Heat will have just one more roster spot available. The team’s already re-signed Caleb Martin, Victor Oladipo and Dewayne Dedmon to new deals; it drafted Nikola Jovic at the end of the first-round while also re-shaping its two-way spots with Darius Days and Marcus Garrett.

Haslem’s contribution as a remarkably influentual presence both on- and off-the-court has been well documented. He’s been an extremely valuable and candid mentor for all members across the Heat organization, as well as a philanthropist as an extremely active member in or around the South Florida community.

He’s been a pro’s pro throughout his NBA career and will forever go down as one of the greatest in the franchise’s history regardless of how often he played in recent years or this upcoming season.

Welcome back, Mr. 305.

Now it’s time to get the OG another ring.

This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.