Udonis Haslem
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Power Forward |
|---|---|
| League | NBA |
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Team | Miami Heat |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | June 9, 1980 Miami, Florida |
| College | University of Florida |
| Pro career | 2003 – present |
Udonis Johneal Haslem (born June 9, 1980 in Miami, Florida) is a professional basketball player currently with the Miami Heat of the NBA. For the 2005-2006 season, he is listed as 6 ft 8 in and 235 lb.
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[edit] College career
Haslem attended the University of Florida, majoring in leisure service management. A starting center for four years, he was part of the Billy Donovan recruiting class that put Florida Gators basketball on the map, coming in with another NBA player, Mike Miller. Fans would yell the letter "U" in unison after his big plays. His sophomore season saw the team advance in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship game. The team made the NCAA tournament all four years he was with the team, the first time in the institution's history.
[edit] NBA career
After leaving Florida in 2002, with his weight in excess of 300 pounds and having been a late-preseason roster cut with the Atlanta Hawks, Haslem signed with Chalon Sur-Soane, a professional team in France. While averaging 16.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, Haslem also managed to lose 70 pounds over the course of that year, which resulted in him getting a spot in the NBA summer leagues.
He was signed by the Miami Heat as an undrafted rookie in 2003. As a rookie, he backed up Brian Grant and provided rebounding and defense. He was named to the All-NBA rookie second team, and played in the rookie challenge during All-Star weekend. He assumed the starting power forward position in 2004 after teammate Brian Grant was part of a package that was shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that brought superstar center Shaquille O'Neal back to Florida. He was helpful yet again, being a tough rebounder and developing an effective 15 foot jump-shot. He has been called a perfect complement to O'Neal's style of play, and was critical in the Heat's playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons. Following the season his two-year contract was renewed after upping his rookie averages of 7.3 points and 6.3 rebounds to 10.9 and 9.1 in his second season. In 2005-2006, he again was the starting power forward. Despite increased pressure from O'Neal battling injuries and the acquisition of 3-time All-Star Antoine Walker, Haslem retained the starting spot.
Haslem visited the Red Cross in Arcadia on the west coast of Florida in August 2004 to lift the spirits and assist those who suffered hardships due to Hurricane Charley and to thank the American Red Cross volunteers. Haslem likes to workout and play video games with his son in his spare time. He likes to read when he is alone.
On April 22, 2006, in a first-round playoff game against the Chicago Bulls, Haslem was ejected for throwing his mouthpiece at referee Joe Crawford. Haslem had been upset that a foul was not called on a play on the Bulls' end of the court. After the game, he claimed that he had not deliberately aimed at Crawford, and that the mouthpiece's trajectory was an accident. He apologized to fans and to his teammates, and stated that he would also apologize to Crawford when the opportunity arose. The NBA later announced that they are reviewing the incident, and they concluded that he would be suspended for game 2 of the series against the Bulls on April 24, 2006.[1]
Haslem won an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006, scoring 17 points in the title-clinching game 6 against the Dallas Mavericks.
On Friday, November 10, 2006, Haslem scored a career-high 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in a 113-106 win over the Nets.
[edit] Personal
Haslem's nickname is "U.D.", the first two letters of his name. He is the son of a stand-out Miami High School Basketball Star, Johnnie Haslem. He has an eight-year old son Kedonis and has three sisters and two brothers (his late brother, Samuel Wooten, died of cancer in 1999). He is a big fan of his hometown Miami Dolphins and University of Miami, though he adamantly roots for the Gators when they play the 'Canes, as evidenced by his uninhibited cheering during the Gators vs. Hurricanes matchup in 2005.
Haslem lists Bad Boys and Scarface as his favorite movies. He enjoys rap music and his favorite artists are Jay-Z and the Hot Boys. His favorite food is seafood and lists Red Lobster as his favorite restaurant. He wears shoe size 18.
[edit] External links
1 Wright | 3 Wade (Finals MVP) | 5 D. Anderson | 8 Walker | 20 Payton | 24 Kapono | 30 Barron | 32 O'Neal | 33 Mourning | 40 Haslem | 42 Posey | 49 S. Anderson | 51 Doleac | 55 Williams | Coach Riley
[edit] References
- ^ ""What will happen to Udonis Haslem?", Linda Robertson, the San Jose Mercury News, published April 23, 2006, accessed April 23, 2006.
