Miami Heat Vice President of Basketball Development Udonis Haslem watches players run drills during an NBA basketball training camp at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena at Florida Atlantic University on Oct. 2, 2026, in Boca Raton.
Photo by Matias J. Ocner
mocner@miamiherald.com
Miami Heat icon Udonis Haslem’s 20-year playing career ended three years ago. In fact, Haslem is now a Heat executive.
But Haslem was dripping sweat after the Heat’s training camp practices this week at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. In practice gear, the 46-year-old Haslem ran with Heat players and battled with Heat frontcourt players in one-on-one post-practice drills.
“It’s incredible that he still jumps out on the court with these guys after practice,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Haslem before the Heat wrapped up its four-day training camp on Friday. “It just shows you his level of wanting to serve and be a mentor and just help. He’s able to express that the best when he’s out there bumping and hitting guys, that’s his language. That’s their language as well.”
Haslem, who is entering his fourth season as the Heat’s vice president of basketball development after spending his entire 20-year NBA playing career with Miami, was also there to help fast-track the Heat’s new players this week.
Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and veteran forward Bobby Portis, who both were acquired by the Heat this past summer through a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, praised Haslem when asked about his impact during training camp.
“He’s great. He’s honest. He’s tough,” Antetokounmpo said of Haslem, with the Heat opening its five-game preseason schedule on Saturday night against the Toronto Raptors in Quebec City, Canada. “Obviously being around the organization for 20-plus years, he brings value to the team as a player and as a guy that can come in and coach us and give us advice. So far, I’ve loved it. He always comes to me and sits with me and asks me how I feel and what I thought about practicing. Sometimes just that little interaction helps you. It goes a long way. I’m looking forward to getting to know him more.”
Portis added: “Me and UD are kind of similar in using our voice and being a leader and things like that, so it’s been fun to have him around. Obviously, the last couple of days, man, I’ve been hanging out, especially in practice, giving me little pointers, trying to pick up on things a little faster. Obviously, I’m new to the system with the cutting and spacing back out and things like that. So I’m trying to get acclimated to it. So I think it’s good to have guys that’s already been here, that know the system, that can help the new guys.”
This isn’t new for Haslem. When Haslem isn’t working his other job as a studio analyst on Prime Video’s NBA’s broadcast team, he has been a regular on the Heat’s practice court since his playing career came to an end.
According to Haslem’s bio on the Heat’s website, his responsibilities as the vice president of basketball development “include being a resource to the coaching staff, mentoring both Heat and Skyforce players and representing the organization in the community and in business endeavors. Haslem will continue to maintain the culture he helped establish while serving as team captain for a franchise-record 16 consecutive seasons from 2007-23.”
“I told him when he transitioned into this role, I said, ‘I know you’re doing TV. That’ll take up some of your schedule, but anytime you can come around, don’t ask. You don’t have to get approved of anything. We’d love to have you around,’” Spoelstra said this week when asked about Haslem’s current position with the Heat. “And it’s working out right now with everything. He’s able to find the balance. He loves being around the guys. He loves giving and serving and helping.”
The feeling is mutual, as Heat players love having Haslem around.
“It’s good to have him around,” said Heat center Bam Adebayo, who took over as the Heat’s captain after Haslem retired in 2023. “As you know, UD is going to talk trash, he’s going to say something that’s going to instigate something, and that’s how we get it going. He doesn’t need to be playing.”
All Haslem needs to do is be there for current Heat players to use him as a resource.
“He does so much just in terms of talking to guys, pulling them over to the side, encouraging them, correcting them,” Spoelstra said. “It’s hard to teach that. He just has so much institutional knowledge of how we do things. Of course, he does it with the young guys. But we love him doing it with the new guys that we’ve acquired.”
A good camp
Rookie guard Tre Donaldson was among the Heat’s young players who impressed during training camp this week.
Donaldson, who went undrafted in June out of the University of Miami, is one of three players who the Heat has signed to a two-way contract. A two-way deal allows for players to be on their NBA team’s active list for as many as 50 regular-season games, with other game action having to come in the G League.
“He’s just a dog,” Heat veteran guard Davion Mitchell said when asked about Donaldson during training camp. “It kind of reminded me of myself when I was in the league, just trying to figure it out. Playing hard. Still making mistakes, obviously, but you learn from those mistakes. But he’s playing really well with all the confidence in the world. I’m excited to see him grow.”
Donaldson, 22, set career highs across the board as a senior at Miami last season. He averaged career highs in points (16.4 per game), rebounds (3.6) and assists (5.7) while shooting 45.4% from the field and 35.9% on threes during his lone season with the Hurricanes.
This story was originally published October 3, 2026 at 11:25 AM.
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Anthony Chiang covers the Miami Heat for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and was born and raised in Miami.