The Miami Heat recently announced plans to retire the jersey of franchise legend Udonis Haslem in January 2024, paying tribute to the 43-year-old’s 20 seasons of service to the organization.
Haslem’s No. 40 jersey will become the sixth Heat number to hang in the rafters at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla., joining the likes of Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Shaquille O’Neal.
In addition to the former Heat standouts, Miami has also retired Bill Russell’s No. 6 jersey and Michael Jordan’s No. 23, despite neither having played a single minute with the franchise.
The fact that the Heat retired the jerseys of Russell and Jordan hasn’t sat well with O’Neal, who voiced his displeasure over the situation during the latest episode of his The BIG Podcast on Thursday.
“I hate the fact that they hang up other people’s jerseys. I hope I’m not disrespecting anybody by this term,” said O’Neal.
Shaq doesn’t agree with the Heat retiring MJ’s and Bill Russell’s number
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 29, 2023
“Michael Jordan ain’t never played for the Heat. Bill Russell ain’t never played for the Heat.”
(🎥 @bigpodwithshaq / https://t.co/Fq8UjW2LsB) pic.twitter.com/XUpbap8YZ7
“This thing is ours. This is what we built. Michael Jordan ain’t never play for the Heat. Bill Russell ain’t never play for the Heat. You did your own thing with your little Celtics family and Chicago family,” O’Neal said. “But this Miami thing? I was one of the original championship families... this is our thing. So, I don’t like that personally.”
O’Neal, who played in Miami from 2004-08 and won a championship in ‘06, thinks the franchise should reserve retiring numbers for players who actively achieved success while wearing the Heat jersey.
The NBA retired Bill Russell’s No. 6 throughout the league following his death in 2022. As for Jordan, only Miami and the Chicago Bulls have retired his No. 23.
