Who is Tim James? Closer look at former Heat player who Udonis Haslem wore #40 for

Udonis Haslem had his #40 Miami Heat jersey raised to the rafters of the team’s arena on Friday night. But while he used the number in 20 years at South Beach, he credited former Heat player Tim James for inspiring him to wear it.

James was a star player at the University of Miami and was selected by the Heat as the 25th overall pick in 1999 NBA Draft. He played only one season in Miami. He then had brief stints with the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers till 2001 before taking his talents overseas to Turkey, Iran and Japan.

He later enlisted in the US military, serving in Iraq.

While his stay with the Heat and at the NBA was short-lived, James was idolized by Haslem growing up. The Heat veteran admired how James climbed his way from playing in the inner cities to the NBA.

In a report that came out of NBA.com, ‘UD’ said he took his toughness from the likes of James, saying:

"I'm not tough. He's the Manny Ramirez of tough. The rest of us are Little League pitchers. We're not even allowed on the mound.''

In 20 years donning the Heat uniform, Udonis Haslem posted career averages of 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds. He was one of the team’s leaders throughout his run, helping the team win three NBA titles.

He is the sixth Miami player to have his jersey number retired by the team, joining Chris Bosh (No. 1), Dwyane Wade (No. 3), Tim Hardaway (No. 10), Shaquille O’Neal (No. 32) and Alonzo Mourning (No. 33).

Udonis Haslem grateful to Heat, city for retiring his jersey

In ceremonies held on Friday night, ‘UD,’ surrounded by loved ones, friends and former teammates, was feted by the team by raising his number to the rafters.

The former team captain was emotional during the proceedings as he thanked the people who were with him during his basketball journey.

The now-43 year old said:

"You all got the money on me crying, don't y'all? I know you all think I'm going to cry. Yeah, it's hard. It's hard. It's hard. Heat Nation, it's been an absolute honor, man."

Haslem added:

"You've got to hold up the 305 (Miami area code). "Tonight, we all celebrate, 305."

Udonis Haslem went undrafted in the 2002 draft but eventually ended up with his hometown team Heat, where he became a key figure both on and off the court. He finished his career with the team with 6,586 points and 5,791 rebounds while helping Miami to three NBA titles.

In November last year, he joined the Heat front office as Vice-President of Basketball Development. His responsibilities include being a resource to the coaching staff, mentoring both HEAT and Skyforce players as well as representing the organization in the community and in business endeavors.