Udonis Haslem carved out a place for himself in the heart of Miami, as a key member of the Heat’s roster. The powerful forward, despite falling out of the rotation, became an influential and respected voice in the locker room, leading by example and demanding the best from his teammates.
Following his decision, Haslem retired, holding the record as the oldest player for the last three years, creating an opportunity for LeBron James to potentially break the record as the oldest player in the league.
LeBron poised to dethrone Udonis Haslem
After Udonis Haslem hung up his jersey back in July at 42 years and 363 days after the Miami Heat’s loss in the finals against the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James is ready to dethrone him as the oldest player in the league. James, who will be entering his 21st season in the NBA, will turn 39 in December. He was dubbed the “Chosen One” and the Cleveland Cavaliers that year picked No. 1 in the draft.
His first seven seasons with the Cleveland was without a championship, and he announced in 2010 to take his talents to South Beach where he joined the Miami Heat (Heatles). His first season with the Heatles was a failure as they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals, which made fans question his ability to lead them to a title. He responded by winning a title in the next two years.
He returned to Cleveland after a loss to San Antonio in 2014 and earned them a championship by pulling a great win against the Golden State Warriors 73-9. He joined the Lakers and won his fourth title in 2020 alongside Anthony Davis for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Last season, James’ Lakers lost the Western Conference Finals to the Nuggets. As he becomes the oldest player in the league, he will hope to add to his championship cabinet this season.
LeBron James will face Nikola Jokic in season opener
This season’s opener will feature the two best teams in the league. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Co will get their championship rings while LeBron James and Co will look forward to the season’s opener. Tensions have been building up this off-season considering several trash talks between the two franchises.
Lakers’ Anthony Davis during the Lakers media day revealed that he couldn’t wait to face the Nuggets again. Austin Reaves also told reporters that their aim was to ruin the Nuggets’ championship night. James also added his contribution in the off-season, as he took a shot at Nuggets’ coach Malone. As the much-anticipated game takes place on 25 Oct. 2023, LeBron James is determined to kick off the season, the opener is against a team that defeated them in the finals of last season’s post-games. Who do you think will win this match? Share your thoughts in the comment box.
