Nearly 20 years into his NBA career, miami heat Forward Udonis Haslem has yet to retire. According to Shams Charania athleticHaslem recently announced at youth camp that he will be gearing up for his 20th NBA season with the Heat.
Haslem, 42, became only the third player in NBA history (after Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant) to spend his entire career in at least 20 seasons with one franchise. He holds the Miami franchise record for seasons played with the team, second only to Dwyane Wade for most games.
Haslem’s impressive longevity has made us think about the longest-serving Blazers in franchise history, and star Damian Lillard’s rise to the record books in Blazer’s Edge. will it reach?
As with many franchise records, the all-time greats list begins with the great Clyde Drexler. Let’s see:
Most Games Played in Franchise History
- Clyde Drexler — 867
- Jerome Carthy — 831
- Terry Porter — 758
- Damien Lillard — 711
- LaMarcus Aldridge — 648
Seeing Lillard try to catch Glyde, Lillard’s second-ranked career game and points, will be a compelling storyline for the next few seasons. If he doesn’t miss a single game, he’s 157 games away from securing the top spot, but will break the record with the 75th game in the 2023-24 season. This means it will likely take him three his seasons to become his leader in the franchise, unless he sustains a serious injury. A $122 million contract extension Lillard signed this summer could theoretically keep the franchise star in Portland until the 2026-27 season, boosting his chances of hitting the record. .
Perhaps the more controversial question is whether Lillard will join Haslem’s near-exclusive club, which has scored at least 20 seasons with the same franchise. (For reference, Lillard’s 10 seasons is the third-most in franchise history, behind Kersey’s 11 and Drexler’s 12.) basketball countryl).
Now, Lillard’s “Don’t Run Away The Grind” brand doesn’t sound like cheap talk.He could have gotten out of his evasion by now, and probably for good reason, but he hasn’t. He even compared himself to Nowitzki And the All-Star’s relentless pursuit of titles and loyalty were the hallmarks of his 21-season tenure. Dallas Mavericks.
The front office, which gave Lillard a huge extension this summer, shows it’s willing to invest in the aging star. As general manager Joe Cronin said at a press conference announcing the deal, the extension furthers the organization’s commitment to “make him the Blazer for life.”
But 20 seasons still seems like a dream for the partnership, despite both sides wanting to stay together. was 22 in the NBA season. After Lillard’s contract extension expires in 2027, he will turn 37 that summer, but he still has five seasons before the milestone of 20 seasons. This means he will have to play through his 42-year-old season in 2031-32 to catch Haslem, Nowitzki and Bryant.
Haslem saw his first action in the NBA at age 23 and will be playing this season at age 42, but his battle with father time has been aided by a significantly reduced role. In his last six seasons, Haslem has been a regular in the games of his season, where he has only appeared in 58 games and has acted more like a brilliant assistant to his coach than a player. If Lillard goes on long enough, he will likely have to take on a similar role. Still, Lillard has racked up enough miles in his career to drag Portland’s roster into the playoffs, and the role of bench mentor has star power and ambition. This may be a difficult request for someone who has
Along with Lillard, the other two most likely candidates to join Haslem’s ranks and play at least 20 seasons with the same franchise are Stephen Curry and Bradley Beal. Curry, 34, golden state warriorsThe 29-year-old Beer Washington Wizards.
What do you think, Blazers fans? Will Lillard break Clyde’s franchise record for most games played? Will he do the near-impossible and play 20 seasons with the Blazers? What would either milestone mean for his legacy in Portland?
