Being drafted into NBA may be a stepping stone for an NBA career, but being undrafted does not mean an NBA career is over. One can make it to the NBA despite not being drafted if you have the skill.
Udonis Haslem is one of the many undrafted success stories in the NBA. He went undrafted in 2002 but eventually got the contract from Miami Heat.
Haslem has dedicated his entire NBA career to playing for the Miami Heat. In his career, he has won several awards and honors, including the NBA all-rookie team, three times NBA champion, and so on.
Furthermore, Haslem is the oldest active player in the NBA and has dedicated 20 years of his life to NBA and currently has no intention of retiring.
How did Haslem go from being an undrafted player to becoming the oldest active player in NBA? Make sure to read the article to the end.
Furthermore, this article will take you on the beautiful journey of Udonis Haslem, his struggles, NBA career, personal life, and so on.
But, before we dive into the details, let’s briefly look at his quick facts first.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Udonis Johneal Haslem |
| Name | Udonis Haslem |
| Nick Name | Udonis |
| Date of Birth | June 9, 1980 |
| Age | 43 years old |
| Birth Place | Miami, Florida |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | American – Puerto Rican |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Height | 6’8″ (2.03 meters) |
| Weight | 235 pounds (107 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Father’s Name | John Haslem |
| Mother’s Name | Debra Haslem |
| Siblings | Two brothers and three sisters |
| High School |
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| Education | Graduate in Leisure service management |
| University | University of Florida |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Faith Rein-Haslem |
| Marriage Year | 2013 |
| Children | Three sons; Kedonis, Josiah, and Elijah Haslem |
| Profession | NBA Player |
| Position | Power Forward |
| Leagues | NBA |
| NBA Draft | Undrafted |
| Debut Year | 2002 |
| Retirement | Not available |
| Playing Teams |
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| Awards and Achievements |
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| Major Achievement | The oldest active player in NBA |
| Net Worth | $30 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Basketball Trading Card |
| Last Update | April 2024 |
Udonis Haslem | Early Life
Udonis Johneal Haslem was born on June 09, 1980, in Miami, Florida. He is the son of John Haslem (father) and Debra Haslem (mother).
His father was a college basketball player and played for Stetson Hatters from 1972 to 1974. His mother is a Puerto Rican.
Haslem also has two brothers and three sisters. One of his brothers, Samuel Wooten, passed away in 1999 due to cancer. He was a role model for Haslem, and he admired him the most.
Haslem’s father significantly influenced his love and passion for basketball. He guided Haslem in basketball and supported his dream to become a professional basketball player.
Udonis attended Wolfson High School in Jacksonville, Florida, and then Miami Senior High School in Miami.
Later, he enrolled in the University of Florida on an athletic scholarship and graduated, majoring in Leisure service management.
Age, Height & Weight
Udonis Haslem was born in 1980, which makes him 43 years old. People born in August are Geminis.
Furthermore, Udonis was born in Miami, Florida, and identifies himself as an American-Puerto Rican. His father is American, whereas his mother is Puerto Rican.
Also, Haslem is 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters) tall and weighs around 235 pounds (107 kg). Haslem was 300 pounds (140 kg) when he went to play in France.
He later lost 50 pounds (23 kg) in around eight months to maintain a fit and athletic body. Haslem frequently works out to maintain his athletic body.
Furthermore, Haslem also has several tattoos on his body. He has inked his whole body with several tattoos.
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Udonis Haslem | Early Career
Udonis Haslem was a key member of Gator Teams, a basketball team at the University of Florida. He was coached by Billy Donovan and played as a starting center for four years, from 1998 to 2002.
During his second season, the squad made it to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship game but were unfortunately defeated.
During his undergraduate career, the Gators were invited to the NCAA tournament four years in a row for the first time in school history.
Haslem was chosen to the coaches’ All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) team four times. He is also the team’s all-time leader in points, where he ranks third in points scored and tenth in rebounds.
In 2012, he was honored as a “Gator Great” by the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.
Udonis Haslem | Professional Career
Undrafted and Miami Heats
Udonis Haslem was undrafted in the 2002 NBA draft. Despite being undrafted, Haslem went on to search for the contracts with the NBA team.
Later, he joined the Atlanta Hawks for training camp and made the Shaw’s Pro Summer League roster. But, the Hawks waived Haslem before the 2002–03 NBA season scattering his NBA dream.
He then, signed with Chalon-sur-Saône of the French LNB Pro A and played in France for a season. His amazing performance there helped him secure a contract for NBA.
On August 6, 2003, Haslem signed up with the NBA team, Miami Heat. He made the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and helped the Heat reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals as a rookie.
Haslem was a valuable asset to Miami and helped Miami Heats win their first NBA championship.
Injury and Retirement
In July 2010, Haslem agreed to a five-year, $20 million contract with the Heat. He was offered several deals from the Dallas Mavericks or Denver Nuggets, but he chose Miami, the team he started his NBA journey with.
But, unfortunately, Haslem had a ligament injury in his foot in November 2010, sidelining him for the remainder of the season.
Following his injury, Haslem saw less and less time on the floor with Miami Heats. He later chose to opt-out of his contract. But, his urge to play basketball made him resign from the contract.
Thus, Haslem resigned with Heats on one-year deals every year from 2014. He said that he probably would be retiring after the 2018-19 season, but he stated that he would not retire yet.
As a result, Haslem became the NBA’s oldest active player following the retirement of Vince Carter. He is the 30th oldest active player in the NBA as well as the oldest undrafted player of the modern era.
Haslem currently has no intention of retiring from the NBA as he resigned with the Heats on August 15, 2021.
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Udonis Haslem | Awards and Achievements
- Three times NBA champion (2006, 2012, 2013)
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2004)
- The first undrafted player in NBA history to set a franchise rebounding record (2012)
- Second-team All-American – NABC (2002)
- Third-team All-American – AP (2001)
- Two times First-team All-SEC (2001, 2002)
- Two times Third-team All-SEC (1999, 2000)
Wife and Children
Udonis Haslem is married to his long-term girlfriend Faith Rein-Haslem, whom he dated for 14 years before tying the knot.
Haslem met Faith while attending the University of Florida. Faith was a member of the Florida Gators Track and Field team.
Initially, both knew each other but never had thought they would be in a relationship. They would occasionally pass each other in the hallway, not knowing much about one another, but they were familiar faces to one another.
When they first met, they were both in a relationship. Haslem was in a relationship with a girl on the Volleyball team who cheated on him, whereas Faith was in a relationship with a guy on the Football team, which did not work out.
It was a heartbreak that got them together. They later figured out that they were made for each other and started dating one another.
After dating for fourteen years, they finally married in 2013 in Palm Beach, Florida. The couple is blessed with three sons; Kedonis, Josiah, and Elijah Haslem.
But, the couple made a fascinating reveal about their abortion. Faith had to abort the first child she was pregnant with during her college days.
It was starting of Haslem’s NBA career, and the couple did not have the financial support. On top of that, both were just starting their careers.
Haslem faced a challenging decision, but he and Faith persisted through it and handled it with maturity and grace.
Social Media Presence
Udonis Haslem | Net Worth and Salary
The net worth of Udonis Haslem is estimated to be $30 million. His net worth is derived from his primary profession as an NBA player.
According to the sportrac, the athlete signed a rookie deal with the Miami Heats for $366,931. He signed his career’s most expensive deal with Miami Heats worth $20 million for five years in 2010.
He has been resigning his contract with Miami for roughly $2 million per season. Thus, the player earned approximately $68 million being an NBA player playing for Miami Heats.
Furthermore, he has earned good fortunes from his sponsorship, investments, and endorsements.
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FAQs
Why does Heat keep Udonis Haslem?
Udonis Haslem had dedicated his whole NBA career to playing for Miami Heats and even rejected expensive offers from other teams to play for the Heats.
Haslem for Heats is a very valuable and loyal player. Thus, it allows Haslem to extend its contract and return to the team as many times as he likes and retire whenever he believes the time is suitable.
What are the overall NBA statistics of Udonis Haslem?
In his NBA career, Udonis Haslem played 872 games with an average of 6.6 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 0.8 assists, 0.3 blocks, and 7.5 points per game.
