Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Udonis Haslem Has Unexpected Reaction to Player's Postgame Interview

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated Jan 2, 2026 9:15 PM ET

Former Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem retired from the NBA at the end of the 2022-23 season, and at 45 years old, he's living a good life off the court. These days, Haslem is busy with something different, as he's joined many other former NBA players in the sports broadcasting industry, working as a studio analyst for "NBA On Prime."

No one is expecting Haslem to dust off his basketball sneakers and make an NBA comeback bid, but he jokingly said he wanted a one-day contract after getting hyped up over a passionate postgame interview of forward Peyton Watson following a 106-103 Denver Nuggets victory over the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Wednesday.

"Can I sign a one day?" Haslem said. "I don't need a 10-day ... I wanna be a part of that locker room."

"Can I sign a one day? ... I wanna be a part of that locker room."

This Peyton Watson postgame interview had @ThisIsUD wanting to come out of retirement #NBAonPrime pic.twitter.com/YkHb1VbXn4
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) January 3, 2026

Watson was feeling pumped up, as Denver came away with a win despite a banged-up roster. Apart from Jokic, who is expected to miss several weeks after suffering a knee injury during a Dec. 29 game against Haslem's former team, Miami, the Nuggets are also going through their schedule without injured key rotation players Cam Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun.

Denver Nuggets guard Peyton Watson (8) reacts after a play in the third quarter against the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesIsaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Watson stepped up against the Raptors and paced the Nuggets with 24 points on 9-for-19 shooting from the floor to go with eight rebounds and two steals in 36 minutes of action.

It will be interesting to see how the Nuggets navigate this stretch of the 2025–26 NBA season without Jokic and several others in uniform. For Watson and the rest of the team’s healthy players, the situation presents both a challenge and an opportunity to shine.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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