When Udonis Haslem retired at the end of the 2022-23 season, it ended a chapter of basketball history that we don’t really appreciate: The Heatles. Every single Miami Heat teammate of LeBron James is now out of the NBA. All but Haslem couldn’t even make it out of the 2010s.
How is this even possible? Let’s go over what happened to every Miami Heat teammate of LeBron James.
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What happened to every Miami Heat teammate of LeBron James?
Udonis Haslem
Retired in 2023
Let’s start with the last man standing, Udonis Haslem. He hung around Miami for nine seasons after James bolted, although he only appeared in 184 games over the span. Making this all the more impressive is the fact Haslem was LeBron’s only teammate to appear in a game in the 2020s.
The Other Two
Dwyane Wade
Retired in 2019
There can be no debate that Dwyane Wade was on the downside of his career when James returned to Cleveland ahead of the 2014-15 campaign. He was with the Heat for two more seasons, being named an All-Star each year but Wade’s wasn’t close to the player of years past.
The former Marquette standout signed an ill-fated free-agent contract with the Chicago Bulls in the summer of 2016 but was waived after a single season in his hometown. Wade linked up with James again in Cleveland. This was a poor fit and he was traded back to Miami after 46 games where Flash carried on until 2019.
Chris Bosh
Retired in 2016
The world may never truly appreciate just how good Chris Bosh was given he was exiled on some bad Toronto Raptors sides until becoming Miami’s third wheel. But Bosh was outstanding. A malleable big man who was able to do whatever the Heat needed.
Like Wade, he hung around Miami for two seasons, but each campaign ended early due to blood clot issues that would eventually force him to retire. While Bosh didn’t officially call it a career until 2017, his last game played was in 2016.
The Important Role Players
Ray Allen
Retired in 2014
It’s easy to forget that the Boston Celtics had a 3-2 series lead in the 2012 NBA Eastern Conference Finals before LeBron blew them off the court in two straight games. That was enough to convince Ray Allen to change sides the following season, imploding the NBA’s original Big Three in the process.
Look, Allen was well past his prime, but his shooting proved invaluable for the Heat in the two seasons he was in town. He retired after James left for Cleveland.
Shane Battier
Retired in 2014
After losing in the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, the Heat sought out Shane Battier in free agency to serve as the basketball equivalent of a starting pitcher who ate innings without being particularly effective. He wasn’t going to win you a game, but he also wasn’t going to lose you one, either. Like Allen, he retired once The Heatles broke up.
Mike Miller
Retired in 2017
After Pat Riley had finished the transactions for the Big Three, the Heat went out and signed Mike Miller to a five-year deal. While he was never healthy for an entire season, Miller played a key role for Miami for three years before being waived via the amnesty clause in 2013. He signed for Memphis before reuniting with LeBron in Cleveland for a season and closing out his career in Denver.
Mario Chalmers
Last NBA game in 2018
Was Mario Chalmers any good? It’s a question no one seems to know the answer to. Playing point guard on a team with Lebron James and Dwyane Wade meant he was very much a passenger. And yet, he hung around all four years, playing an essential role for the franchise. He certainly stepped up on occasion but also received near constant scorn from teammates and fans.
When James left town, Chalmers inked a contract extension with Miami but was traded to Memphis early in the 2015-16 season. He ruptured his right Achilles tendon in March of 2016 and no team signed him the following year. He returned to the Grizzlies and served as a role player in the 2017-18 season before heading overseas. Chalmers also had a stint in the G-League.
Kind Of Important
Joel Anthony
Last NBA game in 2017
Joel Anthony was a lumbering center whose best attribute, apart from size, was affordability. His career can best be summed up by a 2011 performance against Portland where he played 19 minutes without recording a point, rebound, assist, steal or block. It’s an NBA record for anonymity.
Anthony was traded for Toney Douglas during the final season of The Heatles era and bounced around the NBA for a few more years. He was out of the league by 2017 but continued his playing career in Argentina.
Chris Andersen
Retired in 2017
Denver released Chris Andersen in the 2012 offseason, but Birdman wouldn’t sign for another team until the Heat offered him a 10-day contract midway through the 2012-13 season. The move was a catalyst for the team as they went 37–3 in regular-season games that Andersen played in to close the year.
He would hang around Miami for a season and a half after LeBron left before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Andersen then joined the former teammates club that cycled through Cleveland during James’ second stint before calling it a day in 2017.
Norris Cole
Last NBA game in 2017
Norris Cole was basically a lesser Mario Chalmers. There was always a sneaking suspicion that he was a hand-picked selection of James who only wanted him because of their shared Ohio roots. By the way, Jimmy Butler was taken two picks after Cole. Let that sink in.
His basketball fortunes took a turn for the worse as soon as James left Miami. Cole was traded to New Orleans midway through that first post-LeBron season. He hung around until the end of the 2015-16 campaign, although he wasn’t particularly effective. No team signed him, and Cole played in China before the Thunder handed him a lifeline at the end of the 2016-17 season. He continues to play overseas to this day.
Rashard Lewis
Retired in 2014
Rashard Lewis didn’t do a hell of a lot during his two seasons in Miami but every once in a while, he would show a glimpse of the player he once was. In particular, his run in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals was pretty epic. Lewis tried to keep his career going in Dallas after The Heatles run ended but was cut before the season started.
Here For A Long Time, Not A Good Time
James Jones
Retired in 2017
Everyone has raved about what a great teammate James Jones was, and apparently, it was a sentiment LeBron agreed with. Not only did the sharpshooter hang around all four years with him in Miami, but Jones followed James to Cleveland for an additional three seasons. He retired in 2017 after being appointed Director of Player Personnel for the Phoenix Suns.
Juwan Howard
Retired in 2013
The Heat didn’t sign Juwan Howard for on-court contributions. He was there to provide a veteran presence and serve as a de facto player-coach. He stayed in the role for three seasons, retiring after Miami won its second title.
Here For A Good Time, Not A Long Time
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Retired in 2011
Zydrunas Ilgauskas retired after his lone season with the Heat where he tagged along with LeBron in the latter’s departure from the Cavs. He was a regular starter for most of the year but fell out of the rotation in the postseason.
Mike Bibby
Retired in 2012
Mike Bibby arrived to the Miami Heat after being bought out of his contract by the Washington Wizards toward the end of the 2010-11 season. He became the team’s de facto starting point guard and was solid enough. It is wild to think that Bibby was only 32 when he joined Miami because it seemed as if he was closer to 40 at this point in his career. He played one last season with the Knicks before calling it a career.
Toney Douglas
Last NBA game in 2017
Toney Douglas was a limited point guard who you did not want to play on your team because he was so uninspiring. He was traded to the Heat in LeBron’s last season for Joel Anthony. He managed a few more years in the NBA before finding a pretty successful career overseas where he still plays.
Eddie House
Retired in 2012
The ultimate bench gunner, Eddie House was signed ahead of the 2010-11 season because he liked to shoot threes and had won a championship. He had his moments during his first season in Miami. House stuck around the following year but never appeared in a game and was eventually released.
Carlos Arroyo
Last NBA game in 2011
Carlos Arroyo entered the first Heatles season as the starting point guard but was replaced by Mario Chalmers midway through the year. He was released in March so Miami could sign Bibby. Arroyo caught on with the Boston Celtics for the remainder of 2011. He opted to return to Europe at the conclusion of the season.
Roger Mason
Retired in 2014
The Heat signed Roger Mason as the 2013-14 season was approaching. He appeared in 25 games for the team but was deemed expendable and shipped to Sacramento with Miami wanting to clear roster space for the buy-out market. Mason was waived by the Kings and didn’t appear in another NBA game.
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Random Bigs
Jamaal Magloire
Retired in 2012
Jamaal Magloire had basically become a basketball equivalent to a hockey goon at this late stage of his career. He was there for the ride during the Big Three’s first go-round. Despite offering no basketball contributions, he milked one final season in Toronto after his time in Miami.
Ronny Turiaf
Retired in 2015
The Washington Wizards traded Ronny Turiaf to the Denver Nuggets at the 2012 NBA trade deadline, and he was promptly waived by his new team. Miami signed him a few days later and he had an occasional role for the team during the rest of the season and in the playoffs. Turiaf played sparingly in the pros for a few more seasons before retiring.
Dexter Pittman
Last NBA game in 2015
The Miami Heat held the 32nd pick in the NBA Draft, otherwise known as the second pick of the second round in 2010. It must be noted that we’re still a little more than two weeks away from The Decision airing on ESPN. And while the front office didn’t know where exactly the team was heading, taking Dexter Pittman seemed like a bad move even then.
For starters, Miami already had Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire on the roster who were just older versions of Pittman. As for the rookie, he had no impact in his first season, played a bit part in year two, spent most of his time in the G-League and was traded for nothing in year three of The Heatles. He has since gone on to have a long career on the international scene.
Erick Dampier
Retired in 2012
Feeling that three slow, lumbering centers weren’t enough, the Heat also signed Erick Dampier during the 2010-11 season after he had been waived by the Charlotte Bobcats. He played a fair amount while Udonis Haslem was injured but didn’t make any postseason appearances as the power forward had returned to the lineup.
Big Names, Minimal Impact
Michael Beasley
Last NBA game in 2019
There was a belief that Michael Beasley could inject some much-needed youth into a Heat roster that was consistently struggling to get meaningful minutes out of its random assortment of 30-something ring chasers, lumbering centers and misfit point guards. More importantly, the price was right as Beasley needed to repair his reputation as a flawed player.
It didn’t go according to plan for either party. Beasley was in-and-out of the rotation for the entire 2013-14 season. He agreed to play in China the following season before linking up with Miami for a third time toward the back end of the year. He’s since bounced around both the NBA and China.
Greg Oden
Last NBA game in 2014
Greg Oden arrived with similar hype to Beasley, albeit for different reasons. Several teams were desperate to sign the former number-one overall pick as he claimed to finally be healthy after years of injuries. He eventually agreed to a deal with the Heat who landed a low-risk, high-reward big man.
There was to be no reward for Miami, unfortunately. Oden looked to be a shell of his former self. Essentially, he was a thinner, younger version of Joel Anthony. Oden has made a few basketball appearances here and there since his Heat cameo, including in the TBT.
Jerry Stackhouse
Retired in 2013
Jerry Stackhouse signed at the start of LeBron’s first season in Miami but only lasted seven games with the Heat. He was waived so the team could sign Erick Dampier. Stackhouse somehow managed to play in the NBA for two more years after being cut.
Eddy Curry
Last NBA game in 2012
Another Hail Mary toss by the Heat that ended in an incomplete pass. Eddy Curry had not played a game since December 2009 and had made only 10 appearances in total since the start of the 2008-09 season. Despite this, Miami was compelled to sign him in December of 2011, but he did nothing of note.
Curry appeared in a couple of games for the Dallas Mavericks the following season before going to play in China.
Filler
Terrel Harris
Last NBA game in 2013
Terrel Harris began his career in the G-League and overseas before being signed by Miami during 2011-12. He lasted about a year with the team before being waived during the following season. Harris finished the year with New Orleans but that was his last NBA appearance. He spent some time in the G-League before playing in Israel.
Mickell Gladness
Last NBA game in 2012
Mickell Gladness signed a couple of ten-day contracts with the Heat during the 2011-12 season. He landed another ten-day contract with the Golden State Warriors the following year. Since then, he’s been a basketball version of “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?”
Josh Harrellson
Last NBA game in 2014
The master of jorts signed a contract with the Heat in 2012-13 with hopes he could serve as a stretch big. It didn’t work out and he only played six games for the team before being waived. Harrellson signed with the Detroit Pistons for the following season but that was his last NBA action. He’s since gone on to have a long career in Japan.
Jarvis Varnado
Last NBA game in 2014
Jarvis Varnado played 37 total NBA games, spending most of his career stateside on 10-day contracts. He nabbed a championship ring for his troubles in Miami. He’s since spent some time in the G-League while playing for several teams in Europe and South America.
DeAndre Liggins
Last NBA game in 2018
The Heat signed DeAndre Liggins to two separate 10-day contracts in 2014 during the dying days of the team’s dynasty. He played one game in that span. Beyond that, Liggins bounced around the NBA between stints in Europe.
Justin Hamilton
Last NBA game in 2017
Justin Hamilton was the last-ever signing of The Heatles era, inking a deal with the team in March 2014. He was 23 at the time and seen as a prospect at the center position. Hamilton has spent training camp in Miami, so there was some familiarity between the two sides.
The center stuck with the Heat the following season playing in 24 games before being traded. Most of his career since has been spent in China.
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