Udonis Haslem returns for 17th year in NBA

Alumni Guy

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On a tangent:

If Vince Carter finishes this season, he will be the 1st player in NBA history to play in 4 decades.
 

Musclepug

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You get paid a helluva lot more being the 12th man vs being an asst coach
 

maheo30

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I still can’t believe the fat kid in my driveway would one day play almost 2 decades in the nba. Udonis and his friend Barry played me and my friend Hank. Udonis was the worst one, but still decent. He couldn’t dunk though. Too much fat. He got his act together and flat out worked his butt off. I remember all the weight he lost and how good he got. Pure hard work and grit. While others goofed off. Udonis was grinding. Props to him.
 

soflagator

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You get paid a helluva lot more being the 12th man vs being an asst coach

At this point, he basically is an assistant. In the games I've been to over the last few years, he's coaching and encouraging the players in the huddle as much as anyone outside of Spoelstra. He's played his hand really well and has become one of the most popular players in Heat history.
 

BMF

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3 more years and he's eligible for his pension! (just kidding - as it's a big deal to get to 20 in the military). Pretty impressive. Same w/ Vince Carter, who's making several million $$/year still. He's made almost $200 million in career earnings.
 

CGgater

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Congrats to one of my favorite Gators! Hard to put him ahead of the 04s, but as maheo hinted that guy epitomizes everything you want in a player/teammate/leader.

 

Sec14Gator

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I was thinking about UD recently compared to the Emmitt Smith’s kid thread that went into Emmitt dismissing UF.

Haslam will, openly and loudly, be cheering for UM in Orlando and brags about his life long love of the Canes. And maybe that is why we forgive it, because we understand allegiance. He has clarified he cheers for UF basketball (or did under Donovan), but he is a diehard Cane.

Ironically, if ever inducted into a hall of fame, I’m sure UD would thank UF and his UF coaches.

No real point here, just that the dichotomy is interesting. UD doesn’t hide his opposing team love, but is still pretty beloved by Gators. Emmitt causes more division.
 

Double Gator Dad

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Congrats to one of my favorite Gators! Hard to put him ahead of the 04s, but as maheo hinted that guy epitomizes everything you want in a player/teammate/leader.


But he epitomizes NONE of the things that you want in a former gator player.
Udonis makes no bones about the fact that he is a Miami guy and a lifelong hurricanes fan.
He describes his years at UF as "a business decision only" and that he does not follow UF basketball.

Being a lifelong gators fan myself, I no longer pay any attention to Haslem's career.
 
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Double Gator Dad

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I was thinking about UD recently compared to the Emmitt Smith’s kid thread that went into Emmitt dismissing UF.

Haslam will, openly and loudly, be cheering for UM in Orlando and brags about his life long love of the Canes. And maybe that is why we forgive it, because we understand allegiance. He has clarified he cheers for UF basketball (or did under Donovan), but he is a diehard Cane.

Ironically, if ever inducted into a hall of fame, I’m sure UD would thank UF and his UF coaches.

No real point here, just that the dichotomy is interesting. UD doesn’t hide his opposing team love, but is still pretty beloved by Gators. Emmitt causes more division.

Not by this 36 year gator basketball season ticket holder. I am done with Haslem just as he is done with us.
 

CGgater

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But he epitomizes NONE of the things that you want in a former gator player.
Udonis makes no bones about the fact that he is a Miami guy and a lifelong hurricanes fan.
He describes his years at UF as "a business decision only" and that he does not follow UF basketball.

Being a lifelong gators fan myself, I pay no longer pay any attention to Haslem's career.
I actually forgot about that. But I also don't follow the NBA. I barely know what's going on with the 04s these days.
 

MadCow54

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I can’t believe he can play after so many years He was probably the 1st player Billie Donavan ever signed We are going to be in Miami in November and I’d almost watch a game if I thought he might play some
 

Okeechobee Joe

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Kudos to him for his UF and NBA career. Thumbs down for his love of the Canes. Once you get your Gator card you hate all things Miami.
 

Double Gator Dad

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I can’t believe he can play after so many years He was probably the 1st player Billie Donavan ever signed We are going to be in Miami in November and I’d almost watch a game if I thought he might play some

Or you could attend a Miami Hurricanes basketball game since it would be about the same thing. Why go see a hurricane play?

Seriously, I saw every game he played in Gainesville from the third row and admired his attitude and his play but once he purged UF from his life I purged him from mine.
Go to an NBA game and watch a former gator player versus a hurricane
 

BMF

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Or you could attend a Miami Hurricanes basketball game since it would be about the same thing. Why go see a hurricane play?

Seriously, I saw every game he played in Gainesville from the third row and admired his attitude and his play but once he purged UF from his life I purged him from mine.
Go to an NBA game and watch a former gator player versus a hurricane

It's odd that he still is a "Miami fan". I have several friends that grew up UF fans and didn't get into UF and ended up going elsewhere (mostly FSU) and became fans of that school. How can you spend 3-4 years at UF and not become a "fan"? He worked out, ate, and hung out w/ football players the whole time - probably partied and smoked weed with a lot of them, hit on girls, bonded, etc. He also spent time living in Jacksonville. Really odd to maintain a loyalty after being an actual athlete at a different school.
 
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CGgater

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It's odd that he still is a "Miami fan". I have several friends that grew up UF fans and didn't get into UF and ended up going elsewhere (mostly FSU) and became fans of that school. How can you spend 3-4 years at UF and not become a "fan"? He worked out, ate, and hung out w/ football players the whole time - probably partied and smoked weed with a lot of them, hit on girls, bonded, etc. He also spent time living in Jacksonville. Really odd to maintain a loyalty after being an actual athlete at a different school.

Having grown up in the shadow of BHG, I can’t imagine changing loyalties just because I went to a different school. Maybe I’d hold a soft spot for my alma mater, but I can’t see any school replacing UF at #1. Even if I ended up at bamuh, with their winning tradition, could they replace UF as my favorite school? I just can’t see it. So I kinda understand where Haslem is coming from despite my strong desire to employ a double standard.

But throw in the athletic experience at UF and I totally understand what you’re saying.
 

Double Gator Dad

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It's odd that he still is a "Miami fan". I have several friends that grew up UF fans and didn't get into UF and ended up going elsewhere (mostly FSU) and became fans of that school. How can you spend 3-4 years at UF and not become a "fan"? He worked out, ate, and hung out w/ football players the whole time - probably partied and smoked weed with a lot of them, hit on girls, bonded, etc. He also spent time living in Jacksonville. Really odd to maintain a loyalty after being an actual athlete at a different school.


It's a mystery to me too BMF.

In addition to your points, he was adored by the basketball fans while he was playing at UF and in the years that followed. I don't expect to hear anything negative from him regarding his experiences at UF because they were so positive.

What is worse to me are the gator fans that don't have a problem with him and continue to support him like a real gator.
I guess these are the same guys that still worship an ex-girlfriend that screwed them over or an old friend that betrayed them.

I place Udonis and Emmitt in the same category with the only exception being that at least Udonis is admirable enough to be upfront about it as opposed to Emmitt who continues to be a gator when it behooves him (like the video attached to this thread) and turns his back when it is convenient.

They are both dead to me as gators.
 

Sec14Gator

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It's odd that he still is a "Miami fan". I have several friends that grew up UF fans and didn't get into UF and ended up going elsewhere (mostly FSU) and became fans of that school. How can you spend 3-4 years at UF and not become a "fan"? He worked out, ate, and hung out w/ football players the whole time - probably partied and smoked weed with a lot of them, hit on girls, bonded, etc. He also spent time living in Jacksonville. Really odd to maintain a loyalty after being an actual athlete at a different school.

I know a former baseball player that was a UF fan his whole life, family was as well. Martin/FSU gave him a scholarship when UF wouldn’t and he took it as a sign of where he would get more playing time. I could never go to FSU, but he did (though he went to UF for grade school). He’s still a diehard Gator fan and bashes FSU openly (though not his friends or experience on the team). He would travel to UF football games more in college than ever going to FSU games because he despised them. It is odd. I also know a few South Florida natives that went to UF, but held on to the UM allegiances. Now that they are living south again, they attend more Miami games and I suspect some will wear green, not blue in Orlando.

As I write this, I’m wondering why I know or tolerate these people.
 

BruceWayne

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Udonis is one of my favorite Gators ever. He's a great representative of the University of Florida and South Florida. He's just a great guy. Very happy for him that he's been able to have this long of a career. He's been so solid and a good example to any young low block players of how to play the game the right way.

A note on Vince Carter that I think I saw on ESPN said he'd be the second player to dunk at the age of 43. I think it was Robert Parish that was the only other player to dunk at that age. Pretty incredible.
 

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