The honor celebrates athletes who have given everything they have to their teammates on the court while serving their community off of it.

Haslem hails from Miami, and chased the dream of one day playing for the Heat despite going undrafted coming out of the University of Florida. He dedicated the award to his parents, mentioning that he lost his mother 12 years ago. He said, "They're the reason why I stand here today."

However, "the man who you see here today, I have to thank my stepmother, Barbara Wooten. She embodies what this award is about. And when you talk about community and being a hero in a community and giving back and thinking bigger and better than just yourself. She embodies that and she's the reason why I stand before you here today the man that I am today.

Source: https://www.si.com/sportsperson/2021/12/08/udonis-haslem-candace-parker-honored-with-hometown-hero-award