Dwyane Wade weekend? Haslem planning a week
NEW YORK — In the wake of the formal announcement that Dwyane Wade’s jersey retirement would span a weekend, Heat forward Udonis Haslem said he likely will need a week for his eventual moment.
“I mean, mine’s going to go forever, because I’m from there,” Haslem said as the Heat’s three-game trip wound to Sunday’s conclusion against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The Heat announced last week a three-day celebration of Wade spanning Feb. 21-23, which will include a celebration of his career on Feb. 21, the retirement of his No. 3 jersey on Feb. 22 and a Feb. 23 screening of the documentary detailing his final season.
The way Haslem looks at it, he likely will then need additional time when his No. 40 makes it to the rafters at AmericanAirlines Arena, considering his roots and lifelong ties in South Florida.
“I haven’t even thought about it,” he said, with this expected to be his final season. “I just saw that he got two or three days. Mine’s going to be parties in a lot of different areas of Miami when I retire.”
Haslem’s career has included a state championship at Miami Senior High and then returning from time at the University of Florida and overseas to spend his entire 17-season NBA career with the Heat.
“I’m just trying to figure out what the hell we’re going to be doing for three days with Dwyane,” he laughed of the Chicago native filling a weekend when the Heat play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 22 and then have to leave on Feb. 23 for a game the following night in Cleveland. “That’s mostly what I’ve been thinking about.”
Haslem, 39, said he is impressed by Wade’s take on retirement, with the iconic guard active in marketing, philanthropic, broadcasting and social-consciousness endeavors.
“I talk to Dwyane every day,” he said. “It doesn’t seem like he’s retired at all, to me. The only time I feel like he’s retired is when I see him doing all kinds of fun stuff on the days when I’m just leaving practice.
“But besides that, I haven’t thought much about how I would do my situation, or have anything similar.”
But he is certain of one aspect.
“It’s going to be a lot more going on that just a couple of days in AmericanAirlines Arena,” he said.
Personal tribute
A unique aspect of the Heat’s games against New York is the number worn by Jimmy Butler.
Turns out No. 22 is a tribute to former Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Taj Gibson, who now plays for the Knicks.
“I played with one of the toughest individuals that I’ve ever seen in my life,” Butler explained a video for NBA.com. “That individual is Taj Gibson. He taught me so much about how to be a pro.
“I wear numbers for people who inspire me over the years. Taj is one of those people.”
Butler played with Gibson in Chicago from 2011 to 2017, and then in Minnesota in 2017-18 and the start of last season.
“He’s always been capable of having break-out years,” Gibson said in advance of Sunday’s game. “He works extremely hard and is a great leader. He’s all about winning.
“They are focusing on winning and doing the right kind of things and the right kind of habits. And I’m happy for him.”