Buzzer Beaters And Silver Sneakers: Unveiling The NBA’s Oldest Player
By Abdul Aziz Mondal
09 September, 2023
Sports
Last Updated on: November 27th, 2024
During Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Udonis Haslem was put in the last 30 seconds to become the oldest player to ever play in the finals. He was set to turn 43 that week and topped the record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was 42 years and 58 days old during Game 4 of the ‘89 NBA Finals.
He has been with Miami since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2003. This made him the longest-tenured player in all franchise history. He has played 58 games combined in the past six years. He serves as an assistant coach. In his last season, he appeared in 13 games, with a total of 32 points and 15 fouls in 83 combined minutes of action.
The Miami Heat lost the game in the end with a 109-94 score as the Denver Nuggets secured a 2-1 lead. Haslem has spent the entirety of his 20-season NBA career with the Heat, where he helped lead the team to all three of its NBA Championships. The latest season will be last, ahead of the last regular-season game. Many of his ex-teammates made a tribute video commemorating his lofty career.
Haslem is the oldest player in NBA history. Here is a detailed biography of the oldest player in NBA.
Question: Who’s The Oldest Player In The NBA?
It has been something that has intrigued people for a long time. Sportsmen and their age. Can they keep playing when they get older? Who is the oldest guy to play so and so sports? More specifically, who is the oldest player in NBA right now? Keep reading to find out.
Udonis Haslem
Born June 9, 1980, is an American former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. He has also played college basketball for the Florida Gators, where he was a key member of the four NCAA tournament teams. Haslem began his professional basketball career in France with Chalon-sur-Saône, after which he signed with his hometown, Miami Heat, in 2003 and went on to become the longest-tenured Heat player in all of franchise history. He also won three NBA championships while with the Heat (2006, 2012, 2013).
Early Life
Haslem was born in Miami. his father, John, played college basketball for the Stetson Hatters from 1972-1974. His mother, on the other hand, was a Puerto Rican. Haslem went to Wolfson High School in Jacksonville, Florida, and then Miami Senior High School in Miami. Haslem has two brothers and three sisters.
He helped Miami High win state titles in 1997 and 1998 while playing alongside another future NBA star, Steve Blake. Former South Carolina head coach Frank Martin coached the team.
An investigation by the Miami New Times revealed that Haslem, Blake, and many other players circumvented residency requirements. He had apparently claimed to live in Miami, whereas he actually lived in Miramar (reported by News-Times). His official school address was an efficiency apartment which a longtime Miami High Booster owned.
It was a violation of Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) rules. This resulted in Miami High being stripped of its 1998 title and was ordered to forfeit its schedule.
Personal Life
Haslem is married to Faith Rein-Haslem, a sports broadcaster. They dated for 14 years. They met in Rein 1999 while going to the University of Florida. Faith was a member of the Florida Gators track and field team. They have three sons.
Haslem has also been a paid spokesperson for FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange. There are many other high-profile athletes and celebrities in the listing for the exchange. In November 2022, however, FTX filed for bankruptcy, wiping out billions of dollars of customer funds. Haslem is currently being sued for supporting and promoting unregistered securities.
College Career
Haslem received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He played for coach Billy Donovan’s Gators teams from 1998 to 2002. He also majored in leisure service management. Haslem was part of Donovan’s 1998 recruiting class that raised that took the Florida Gators basketball program to new heights of prominence. It included his future Miami Heat teammate, Mike Miller.
In his sophomore season, the team advanced to the NCAA Men’s Division I basketball championship game. It ultimately fell to the Michigan State Spartans 89-76.
The Gators received NCAA tournament invitations for 4 consecutive days during his college year- a first in the program’s history. Haslem ranks third in team history in the number of points scored and tenth in rebounds. He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a “Gator Great” in 2012.
Professional Career
Haslem, the oldest player in nba, was signed undrafted in the 2002 NBA draft mostly because of his relative lack of size as a forward. He stood at a height of 6 ft. 6 in. (1.98 m) at the NBA pre-draft camp. He took on the offer to join the Atlanta Hawks for training and made their roster for Shaw’s Pro Summer League. He was released before the start of the 2002-03 NBA season.
Haslem then signed with the French LNB Pro A Chalon-Sur-Saône. When he arrived in France, he was about 300 pounds (140 kg), He lost 50 pounds (23 kg) within 8 months. He also averaged 16.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in the single season he played with them.
On August 6, 2003, Haslem signed with his hometown team, the Miami Heat. As a rookie, he played in the Rookie Challenge during All-Stars weekend, achieved NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors, and also helped the Heat reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Haslem started in all 80 games in which he played. He averaged 10.9 points, with a career-high 9.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 33.4 minutes per game. He re-signed with the Heat in August 2005. Haslem helped the Heat win their maiden NBA championship with a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
With a highly illustrated career, while also being the oldest player in the NBA, he has also appeared in the music video for the song “GDFR” by Flo Rida. He was also featured in the music video for Bet That by Trick Daddy and the music video for Born-N Raised by DJ Khaled, Pitbull, Trick Daddy, and Rick Ross.
To Conclude
So when you asked who is the oldest player in the NBA, it had to be none other than Udonis Haslem. He has had a colorful career at the NBA, and elsewhere he has been. Our oldest player in NBA has retired recently. If you have questions to ask or thoughts to share, please leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you.
Learn More About:
