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1 July 2026  2 min read

NBA winner Haslem swaps Florida for Ipswich with surprise visit

Haslem, a three-time NBA champion, was invited to Ipswich Town's Portman Road stadium for a tour, with Endeavour Ipswich Basketball head coach Nick Drane and club captain Harriet Welham also in attendance.

The group chatted all things Ipswich, including the area's sporting landscape, as well as talking about basketball and Haslem's career.

On an Instagram post that also included comments from former team mate Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, Ipswich winger Wes Burns and others, Haslem said he had 'nothing but love for his Ipswich Town family', and congratulated the club on their promotion to the Premier League for the 2026/27 season.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ipswich Town FC (@ipswichtown)

Speaking about the opportunity, Drane said:

"We were absolutely delighted to welcome an NBA legend to town, and a three-time champion at that!

"Bringing the town's sporting sides together, and a top-flight football club showcasing basketball, is a rarity in the UK and so great to see.

"It was a brilliant opportunity, and I'm pleased we could be a part of it."

Drane's side will be heading into the 2026/27 season looking for a first D1W playoff title since 2020/21, though the team did make the final in both 2023/24 and 2024/25 and collected back-to-back WNBL National Cups from 2023-2025.

Captain Welham will also be back for more after another record-breaking campaign in 2025/26, becoming the first D1W player to pass 3,500 points (3,518), plus the 1,000 rebound (1,051) mark to boot.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Endeavour Ipswich Basketball Club (@ipswichbball)

 

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