Thursday night’s Heat/Sixers game in Miami was an eye-opening experience for all involved as many were stunned to learn 40-year-old Udonis Haslem, the ultimate glue guy and poster child for the overused sports cliché “grizzled veteran,” still plays professional basketball. At this late stage in his career, Haslem mostly serves as a locker-room leader and mentor to some of the team’s younger stars like Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. But with Miami staging its final home game of the regular season Thursday night, as a treat for fans, coach Eric Spoelstra let the Heat lifer take the floor at AmericanAirlines Arena, perhaps for the final time in his NBA career.
Appearing in his 859th career game (second-most to Dwyane Wade in franchise history), the 6’8” forward checked in with a minute to play in the first quarter. Seeing the court for the first time in 273 days (he contributed seven points and eight rebounds in a loss to Indiana last August), Haslem’s return to action was short-lived, thanks to a second-quarter dustup with Sixers enforcer Dwight Howard.
Haslem clearly didn’t appreciate being shoved to the floor by Howard (who probably should have been whistled for a foul), retaliating by offering his Philly counterpart a few choice words. The confrontation escalated quickly when Haslem, feeling their exchange had run its course, pointed an accusing finger in Howard’s face, prompting players from both sides to jump in and separate the feuding big men.
Predictably, both players were ejected, sending Haslem to an early shower. If that’s the last we see of Haslem on an NBA hardwood, it was a fitting way to go out. A Miami native who joined the Heat as an undrafted free agent in 2003, the three-time NBA champ totaled four points and one rebound over three memorable minutes before he and Howard dropped the gloves.
Speaking of Howard, his ejection was a costly one, resulting in his league-leading 16th technical foul. That triggers an automatic one-game suspension, which the 35-year-old will presumably serve Friday night against his former team, the Orlando Magic.
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