MIAMI _ The NBA lost a little flash with the retirement of Vince Carter.
Carter, who announced he was stepping away from the NBA on Thursday, might not have been the high-flier that made him a fan favorite early in his career, but his showmanship never left. The Half-Man/Half-Amazing moniker still fit even at age 43.
His retirement ultimately ushers a new chapter in NBA history. There are no longer any players who were drafted in the 1990s, which as scary as that sounds, also means Carter's former role as the Association's resident oldhead needs to be filled. Enter Udonis Haslem.
The 40-year-old Haslem will officially become the NBA's oldest player when the season resumes in late July. He edged out the Milwaukee Bucks' Kyle Korver, 39, by a little more than 280 days.
Although Haslem is the oldest player, he actually hasn't been in the league the longest. That distinction belongs to Tyson Chandler, who the Los Angeles Clippers selected second overall in 2001 before a draft-day trade sent him to the Chicago Bulls.
Haslem never possessed the same flare as Carter but made up for it with a relentless work ethic. An undrafted four-year player out of Florida, Haslem joined the Heat in 2003 and managed to carve out a niche as a key player off the bench. Both he and Dwyane Wade would make the 2003-04 All-Rookie team, laying the foundation for what's known today as "Heat Culture."
Now in his 17th year with the Heat, Haslem is expected to retire at the end of the season. The three-time champion has appeared in only 27 games over the last three seasons but recently told NBA TV that he's still deciding.
"One thing that I've always wanted is to be able to leave this game on my own terms," Haslem said in May. "Another thing that I've always wanted is to be able to have the opportunity to create a pathway for the next generation as far as passing on the Heat culture. The third thing that I wanted to do was to be able to leave this game with an opportunity to make a good playoff run."
Whatever Haslem decides, the Heat will be fine. The Miami native only appeared in three games before the suspension of the 2019-20 season, yet the Heat hold the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference with a 41-24 record. Even if he decides to hang it up, the All-Star duo of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo appears primed to lead the franchise whenever the post-Haslem era begins.
