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Miami Heat
Miami Heat
Information
Conference Eastern Conference NBA Eastern Conference
Division Southeast Division
Founded 1988
History Miami Heat
1988–present
Arena Kaseya Center
City Miami, Florida
Team Colors Black, Red, Yellow
              
Media Sun Sports
WAXY
Owner(s) Micky Arison
General Manager Andy Elisburg
Head Coach Erik Spoelstra
Uniform Sponsor Ultimate Kronos Group
Affiliate Carnival Cruise Line
Championships
NBA NBA Championship logo 3 (2006, 2012, 2013)
Conference Conference Championship logo 7 (2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2023)
Division 16 (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023)
Other
Retired numbers 8 (1, 3, 6, 10, 23, 32, 33, 40)
Official Website heat.com
Uniforms
HeatAssociation HeatIcon HeatStatement
Home court
MIA CT 1

The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at Kaseya Center, and has won three NBA championships in 2006, 2012, and 2013.

The Heat are unrelated to the Miami Floridians, an American Basketball Association (ABA) team in the early 1970s, although the Heat have occasionally paid tribute to the older franchise by wearing a replica version of the Floridians' uniforms for the NBA's "Hardwood Classics Nights" during the 2005–06 and 2011–12 seasons.

The franchise began play in 1988 as an expansion team, where after a period of mediocrity, the Heat would gain relevance during the 1990s following the appointment of former head coach Pat Riley in the role of team president. Riley would construct the high-profile trades of Alonzo Mourning in 1995, and of Tim Hardaway in 1996, which immediately propelled the team into playoff contention. Mourning and Hardaway would eventually lead the Heat to four division titles, prior to their departures in 2001 and 2002, respectively. As a result, the team struggled, and entered into a rebuild in time for the 2002–03 season.

Led by Dwyane Wade, and following a trade for former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal, Miami made the NBA Finals in 2006, where they clinched their first championship over the Dallas Mavericks, led by Riley as head coach with Wade winning the Finals MVP. After the departure of O'Neal two years later, the team entered into another period of decline for the remainder of the 2000s. This saw the resignation of Riley as head coach, who returned to his position as team president, and was replaced by Erik Spoelstra.

The Miami Heat's best years came during the "Big Three" era. In 2010, after creating significant cap space, the Heat partnered LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, creating the "Big Three" also known as "The Heatles". Together, the trio would lead the Heat to 4 consecutive NBA Finals appearances from 20112014, winning two championships back-to-back in 2012 and 2013 over the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, respectively with James winning both Finals MVPs. The trio would all depart the Heat by 2016, and the team entered another period of rebuilding. Wade was eventually reacquired in 2018, albeit to retire with the franchise.

After acquiring All-Star Jimmy Butler in the 2019 offseason, the Heat returned to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023, losing in both appearances; in six games against the Los Angeles Lakers in the former and in five games to the Denver Nuggets in the latter respectively. The Heat acquired six-time NBA All-Star Kyle Lowry in 2021.

The Heat hold the record for the NBA's third-longest winning streak, 27 straight games, set during the 2012–13 season. Four Hall of Famers have played for Miami, while James has won the NBA MVP Award twice while playing for the team.

Home arenas[]

History[]

1987–1995: Early years in Miami[]

In 1987, after some influence from Billy Cunningham, the NBA voted to expand by adding four new teams: the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat. The Heat came into the NBA for the 1988–89 season with an unproductive first year, with a roster full of young players and journeymen. Among the players on the inaugural roster were first round picks Rony Seikaly and Kevin Edwards, fellow rookies Grant Long and Sylvester Gray as well as NBA vets Rory Sparrow, Jon Sundvold, Pat Cummings, Dwayne Washington, and Billy Thompson. The team started out the season by losing its first 17 games, an NBA record. It didn't help that the Heat were placed in the Midwest Division of the Western Conference. This forced them on the longest road trips in the NBA; their nearest opponent was the Houston Rockets, over 900 miles from Miami. The team ultimately finished with a league-worst 15–67 win-loss record under former Detroit Pistons assistant coach Ron Rothstein.

MiamiHeat1988-1999

The original Heat logo used from 1988–1999.

The Heat picked Glen Rice from the University of Michigan in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft and Sherman Douglas of Syracuse University in the 2nd round and the team also moved to the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference for the 1989–90 season, where they would remain for the next 15 years. However, the Heat continued to struggle and never won more than two consecutive games, en route to a 18–64 record.

The 1989–90 season saw Miami awarded with the 3rd pick overall, only to parlay via two trades (first with the Denver Nuggets and later with the Houston Rockets into getting the 9th and 12th picks, with which they selected Willie Burton of the University of Minnesota and Alec Kessler of the University of Georgia. Both picks flopped. The Heat tried to turn Burton, a college small forward, into a shooting guard without much success. Kessler was bogged by injury problems and was not physical enough to be a quality NBA power forward.

While Rice, Seikaly, and Douglas all showed improvement from the previous year, Miami still only went 24–58 and remained in the Atlantic Division basement.

Rothstein returned to the Heat prior to the 2004-2005 season as an assistant coach, a role he still fulfills today.

Rothstein resigned before the 1991–92 season and the Heat picked Kevin Loughery, who had 29 years of experience in the NBA both as a coach and a player, to be their new head coach. For the 1991 NBA Draft, the team selected Steve Smith from Michigan State, who provided an agile guard to a more matured Heat team. With the help of rookie Smith, Rony Seikaly, and a more experienced Glen Rice, the Heat finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 38–44 record and made the playoffs for the first time. Playing the league-best Chicago Bulls, the Heat were swept in three games. Steve Smith made the NBA All-Rookie team and Glen Rice finished 10th in the NBA in scoring.

The 1992-93 NBA season included the additions of draft choice Harold Miner of the University of Southern California as well as trading a 1st round pick (which would turn into the #10 overall pick the following season) for Detroit Pistons forward/center John Salley. While Salley's addition was first met with optimism because of the role that he played on two championship Detroit Pistons squads, it became apparent quickly that Salley was a quality role player for a good team, but not a quality player for a mediocre team like Miami was at the time. Salley would eventually have his playing time diminish, ultimately resulting in his being taken by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 expansion draft. As for the season itself, it started off poorly, with Smith missing time with a knee injury and Burton being lost for most of the year with a wrist injury. Upon Smith's return, Miami posted a winning record in February and March, but it wasn't enough to dig themselves out of the 13–27 hole they began in. They finished 36–46 and would not return to the playoffs.

A healthier squad fared better in 1993–94, posting the franchise's first-ever winning record at 42–40 and returning to the playoffs as the #8 seed versus the Atlanta Hawks. The Heat became the first 8th seeded team to push the 1st seed to five games in the first round. Atlanta rallied from a 2–1 series deficit to win the best-of-5 series. After that season, Steve Smith would be selected as a member of the 2nd Dream Team, the collection of NBA All-Stars who were selected to compete in the 1994 World Basketball Championships in Toronto as Team U.S.A.. Dream Team II, also made up of future Heat players Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Dan Majerle, and Tim Hardaway, would go on to win the tournament.

In 1994–95, the team overhauled their roster, trading away Seikaly, Smith, and Grant Long. In return, the Heat obtained Kevin Willis and Billy Owens.

Also, at this time came a power shift in Heat's front office. On February 13, 1995 Cunningham and Lew Schaffel were bought out by the Arison family of Carnival Cruise Lines fame, who to that point in time had been silent partners in the day-to-day operations of the franchise until the buyout. Micky Arison, son of Carnival founder Ted Arison was named Managing General Partner. He immediately fired Loughery and replaced him with Alvin Gentry on an interim basis to try and shake up the 17–29 Heat. Gentry went 15–21 for the remaining 36 games of the season for a 32–50 record overall, 10 games off the previous year's mark.

1995–2003: Title hopefuls[]

In the 1995 offseason, the Heat had hired Pat Riley to be their new president and coach. Riley dropped a bombshell shortly before the season began, sending Glen Rice and Matt Geiger (among others) to the Hornets in exchange for All-Star center Alonzo Mourning. In a flurry of midseason deals, Riley acquired several players including Tim Hardaway, Chris Gatling, and Walt Williams. The Heat finished with a winning record with Mourning among the league leaders in scoring and rebounding, but lost in the playoffs in a 3-game sweep against the 72–10 Bulls. The following season, the Heat finished with a franchise-best 61–21 record with new additions, Dan Majerle, P.J. Brown, Jamal Mashburn, and Voshon Lenard. They took out Riley's former team in seven games, rallying from a 3–1 series deficit, partly due to several Knicks players leaving the bench (leading to several suspensions) during a fight that occurred between P.J. Brown and Charlie Ward after Ward was body-slammed by Brown, leading to a brawl. The Heat were however ousted from the playoffs in five games (after falling into a 3–0 series deficit) by the Bulls for the second consecutive year, this time in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Heat celebrated their 10-year anniversary in the 1997–98 season and captured their second straight Atlantic Division title. However, in what would become a heated rivalry, the Heat lost in the first round against coach Riley's former team, the New York Knicks after Mourning would miss the deciding Game 5 via suspension after getting into a Game 4 altercation with Larry Johnson and with Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy hanging onto Mourning's leg in an attempt to intervene.

1998 was a lockout-shortened season. The Heat would lose to the Knicks again after Allan Houston hit a game-winning jumper in Game 5 to decide the series. The Knicks would go on to play in the 1999 NBA Finals, losing to the San Antonio Spurs.

As a result of their success on the court, the Heat moved into the American Airlines Arena in 1999 with seats for over 20,500 fans. The Heat again lost in a deciding Game 7 to the Knicks by a single point.

During the summer of 2000, the Heat felt it finally needed a change. After losing out to the Orlando Magic to get Tracy McGrady, Miami decided to trade P.J. Brown and Jamal Mashburn to the Charlotte Hornets (among others) in exchange for Eddie Jones, Anthony Mason, and Ricky Davis. Miami also picked up Brian Grant to go along with the core of Mourning, Hardaway, Majerle, Bowen, and Carter. The Heat was widely expected to be the favorites in the Eastern Conference until franchise-centerpiece Alonzo Mourning returned from the 2000 Olympics to announce he would miss the entire season due to a rare kidney disorder, known as focal glomerulosclerosis.

The Heat missed Mourning for 69 games in 2000-2001, yet found success with Anthony Mason, who was named to his first All-Star game as a reserve. Brian Grant, Eddie Jones, and Tim Hardaway also played well for the Heat. Alonzo Mourning returned with 13 games remaining. He was a shell of his former, MVP-candidate self and Miami was swept by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round, the same team that Miami acquired Eddie Jones and Anthony Mason from the previous summer, and Alonzo Mourning in that same year.

The following two seasons were two of the darkest in Heat history. Pat Riley missed the playoffs for the first time in his coaching career, and much of the remaining core from the division-title winning Heat teams of the late 1990s departed (Tim Hardaway, Bruce Bowen and Dan Majerle).

Miami rounded out its 2001-02 season roster with players well past their prime such as Rod Strickland, Chris Gatling, Jim Jackson, LaPhonso Ellis, and Kendall Gill to along with Mourning, Jones, Grant and Carter, who the Heat signed to a controversial three-year deal that many said was far too much for the young guard. And to acquire Gatling, Riley and the Heat traded away Ricky Davis, a young, promising player. The trade drew a lot of criticism at the time. The Heat also signed two young, undrafted players in Malik Allen and Mike James to make up for not having a first round pick in the draft. Miami also signed Vladimir Stepania to backup Alonzo Mourning at center. The aging, veteran team narrowly missed out on the playoffs, despite having a losing record.

Unlike the 2001-02 season, Miami began to rebuild in 2002-03. The Heat drafted Caron Butler in the first round and Rasual Butler in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft. Miami supposedly missed out on potentially selecting Yao Ming by one ping-pong ball during the draft lottery. Alonzo Mourning missed the entire season due to his condition worsening and Eddie Jones also missed a huge portion of the season with an ankle injury. Miami signed Travis Best to be the starting point guard. The Heat was led by Caron Butler and many of the youthful players that have filled out the Heat's roster since 2000 including Eddie House, Carter, Stepania, Allen, and James.

Alonzo Mourning's huge contract expired the following summer, giving the Heat some much-needed cap relief to rebuild. However, Miami was still a few million dollars away from signing a max contract. On July 1, 2003, Miami was expecting to hear from Bill Duffy, agent for Anthony Carter who was expected to make $4.1 million the upcoming season. Duffy's agency never informed the team and Miami was free from the contract. In addition, the season earlier, forward LaPhonso Ellis honorably rescinded a clause in his contract which would have forced the Heat to pay Ellis the following season, a burden the Heat could not afford to deal with in the rebuilding process.

2003–2016: The Dwayne Wade era[]

With the cap space, Miami signed often-criticized forward Lamar Odom and guard Rafer Alston. Riley and the Heat also opted to draft Dwyane Wade out of Marquette University with the 5th overall pick instead of signing a large-scale free agent point guard such as Gilbert Arenas. The pick was somewhat surprising at the time. Miami also signed Udonis Haslem out of the University of Florida, who went undrafted a season earlier. Odom, Alston, Haslem, and Wade teamed up with Grant, Jones, Allen, and both Butlers to form one of the most surprising teams of the season.

Pat Riley shocked the basketball world when he stepped down as head coach to focus more on his role as team president and promoted assistant coach, Stan Van Gundy to the head coaching position. The team was expected to be among the league's worst by mainstream media. After dealing with early injury problems to Odom, Wade, and both Butlers, the team quickly gelled and formed what most members of that team consider to be the most fun season of their careers. The Heat newcomers brought youth and energy to the team. Wade broke several rookie records while other Heat players, such as Odom, revived their careers. Wade began to catch the eye of scouts and fans across the league, especially during the playoffs where Wade led the Heat in toppling the New Orleans Hornets, the same team that swept the Heat into rebuilding mode just three seasons prior. Miami lost to the Indiana Pacers 4–2 in the Conference Semifinals. The Pacers had finished with the best record in the league and had much, unanticipated trouble against the Heat.

Shaq

Shaquille O'Neal slam dunking.

After the promising 2003–2004 season, Miami again took major steps forward. The Heat acquired superstar center Shaquille O'Neal on July 14, 2004 in a historic trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, in which Miami shipped Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant out west. Dwyane Wade and O'Neal worked well as a pair and each solidified their position as NBA elites with both averaging over 20 points per game. The season also reunited several former club members. Ron Rothstein, the Heat's inaugural head coach, became their assistant coach and both Steve Smith and Alonzo Mourning rejoined the team as role players.

The Heat had its second best record in franchise history: 59–23. They were seeded first in the playoffs, and swept through the first two rounds by winning eight consecutive games against New Jersey and Washington and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals against the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons. The teams split the first four games before Miami pushed the Pistons to the brink of elimination with an easy 92–78 victory in Game 5, but in the process lost Dwyane Wade to a strained rib muscle suffered on an attempt to take a charge against Rasheed Wallace. Without Wade, the Heat were routed, 91–66, in Game 6 in Detroit, setting up a deciding Game 7 in Miami. In that game, Wade returned, and the Heat held a 6-point lead with 3 minutes remaining before a series of missed shots and turnovers down the stretch cost the Heat the game and the series to the Detroit Pistons, 4–3. Wade apparently struggled to breathe throughout the game due to the rib injury, forcing the Heat's star to play in a limited capacity, although he remarkably managed to score 20 points.

2005–06: Championship season[]

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In the offseason, the Heat were drastically retooled. In what is considered to be the largest trade in NBA history, Eddie Jones was traded for former All-Star Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, and James Posey. Miami also signed future Hall of Fame guard Gary Payton, former UCLA star Jason Kapono in addition to first round pick and NCAA All American Wayne Simien. Free agent Damon Jones opted for a bigger contract offered by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Critics were quick to dismiss the new Heat squad as a bunch of aging has-beens (O'Neal, Mourning and Payton were all in their mid-thirties) and talented underperformers (Walker had a reputation of miserable shot selection, and Williams one of turnover-prone playmaking). After an 11–10 start and with O'Neal hurt, these critics seemed to be proven right.

Pat Riley became coach of the Heat for the second time on December 12, 2005, after Van Gundy stepped down due to personal and family reasons. The team went on to win its first three games under Riley until losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cleveland loss encouraged the Heat to finish up the month of December strong. They concluded the month with 4 wins and 2 losses. The Heat though were still criticized, however, for being unable to beat the top caliber teams of the NBA. This criticism though would just grow more and more on the Heat come the month of January. Although they finished the month of January with 10 wins and 5 losses, they still could not beat the top tier teams. They suffered a loss to Detroit in late January, and in February were blown out by Phoenix twice, lost to the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, and were decimated by their eventual NBA Finals opponents in Dallas. The months of February and March were very successful for the Heat, including a stretch of 15 wins in 16 games which began with a crucial victory over the Eastern Conference powerhouse Detroit Pistons. Dwayne Wade was electric and Shaquille O'Neal stepped up his game up in a tremendous fashion, helping the Heat resurge and finish with a 52–30 record, earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Earning the second seed in the 2006 playoffs, the Miami Heat drew the seventh seed Chicago Bulls as their first round opponent. The Heat won the first two games of the series at home, despite Udonis Haslem being ejected in the first game and suspended in the second for throwing his mouthpiece in the area of the referee. The team lost games three and four in Chicago, but bounced back to win game five at home. After winning game six in Chicago, the Heat eliminated the Bulls from the playoffs and went on to face the New Jersey Nets in the second round. The Heat lost Game 1 at home, but then swept the Nets out of the playoffs for the second year in a row taking Game 5 at home 106–105. The Heat subsequently advanced to their second Eastern Conference Finals in as many years. The Heat opened up the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals in Detroit by facing the Pistons in a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, in which the top seeded Heat lost Game 7 in a heartbreaker. They immediately stole home court advantage by winning Game 1. Miami lost the second game 92–88 after trailing by eighteen at one point, but never surrendered home court advantage. They went home and won both Game 3 (98–83) and a decisive Game 4 (89–78) at home. The Detroit Pistons then won Game 5 in The Palace of Auburn Hills 91–78, but the Heat answered back, winning game 6 (95–78) and with it the series (4–2) in Miami.

After defeating the Detroit Pistons, the Heat advanced to their first NBA Finals in franchise history against the Dallas Mavericks. For the Mavericks, like the Heat, this was also their first NBA Finals appearance.

The Heat were outplayed by the Mavericks in the first two games in Dallas, with the second game being an embarrassing blowout. Things looked worse in Game 3 when the Heat faced a 13-point gap in the last six minutes of the fourth quarter, with Dallas looking to take a commanding 3–0 lead in the series. Led by Wade, however, the Heat began an incredible run in the fourth quarter that gave the Miami Heat their first win in the series. Similar success came in Game 4, when the Miami Heat once again beat the Mavericks with a combined team effort. The Miami Heat were able to establish their ability to play under pressure in Game 5, which went into overtime. Nevertheless, the heroic effort of Wade with his 43 points, including the game tying basket and clutch overtime free throws, propelled the Heat to within one victory of their first championship in franchise history. Interestingly, the third consecutive victory at home placed the Heat in the rare company of teams who have won the middle three games since the NBA switched to the 2–3–2 format for the finals in 1985. The only team to have previously accomplished that feat were the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals.

On June 20, 2006, Game 6, the Heat took the NBA title in Dallas, winning the series four games to two. In winning the series, the Heat became only the third team in NBA history to win the final series after being down 0–2, following the 1969 Boston Celtics and the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers. The Heat overcame a miserable start with a 14-point gap to wear down the Mavericks, and lead by one point (49–48) at the half-time buzzer. Again, Wade played a vital role, powering the Heat to a late lead. He was helped by an impressive five blocks by Alonzo Mourning (the Heat had over 10 team blocks in the game even though they were averaging a little over 2 blocks in the series) and clutch shooting by James Posey, who drained a crucial three which put the Heat ahead by six with 3 minutes to go. Surprisingly, the Mavericks were down only three with a few seconds to go after a pair of missed free-throws by Dwyane Wade. However, Dallas would be put to rest after Wade captured the rebound, fittingly ending the game with the ball in his hands after a missed three-point shot attempt by Jason Terry. Wade would go on to win the NBA Finals MVP.

The championship proved all the more poignant for Miami's veteran superstars Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, and Antoine Walker, who had never before won an NBA championship. Mourning announced seeking another title in the 2006-07 season, and Payton said he would like to do the same.

The championship marks the seventh win for Coach Pat Riley (fifth as a head coach), and fourth title to Shaquille O'Neal, who fulfilled his promise to the citizens of Miami when he vowed in July 2004, to "Bring the title home." He also promised after the win to win the NBA championship again in 2007.

2006–2010: Post-championship struggles[]

Despite O'Neal's promise to win another NBA championship for the Heat, the team experienced four-years of post-title struggles from 2007 through 2010, including a 4–0 sweep by the Chicago Bulls in the 1st round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs.

In the 2007–08 season, Wade was plagued by injuries and the Heat had a league worst 15–67 record. O'Neal was traded to Phoenix midway through the season. Riley resigned as head coach following the season but retained his position as team president. Long time assistant Erik Spoelstra was promoted to head coach.

A healthy Wade led the Heat to 43 wins in 2009 and 47 wins 2010, making the playoffs both seasons, though they lost in the first round, 4–3 in 2009 against the Atlanta Hawks and 4–1 in 2010 against the eventual Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. Wade was the scoring champion in 2009 and the NBA All-Star MVP in 2010.

2010–2014: The "Big Three" era[]

Entering the 2010–11 season with nearly $48 million in salary cap space, the Heat caused a major power shift during the blockbuster 2010 NBA Free Agency, adding LeBron James and Chris Bosh starting the "Big 3" era as well as the first modern superteam. However, the Heat got off to a 9–8 start. After a "players only" meeting, the team improved. The Heat finished with a 58–24 record and the 2nd seed. In the much anticipated 2011 NBA Playoffs, Miami defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, the Boston Celtics in the Conference Semifinals, and Chicago Bulls in the Conference Finals, all in 5 games. The Heat reached the 2011 NBA Finals for the first time since 2006, in a rematch against the Dallas Mavericks. After taking a 2–1 series lead, the Heat lost the Finals in six games to the Mavericks.

After the second NBA lockout ended, the Heat signed veteran Shane Battier. In the shortened 2011–12 season, the Heat started 27–7. However, they would struggle for the second half of the season, going 19–13. The Heat finished 46–20, earning the second seed in the East for the NBA Playoffs. Entering the first round, they took a 3–0 lead against the New York Knicks, but like their previous series with the Sixers, were not able to close them out in Game 4. A victory in Game 5 ultimately defeated New York and the Heat advanced to the second round versus the Indiana Pacers. After losing Game 2 at home and Game 3 at Indiana, many criticized Wade's lackluster performance in Game 3, bringing attention to the fact that he got into a verbal argument with Spoelstra. However, with Wade visiting his former college coach, the team defeated the Pacers in the next three games, to close out the Pacers. They met the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, taking the first two games before losing the next three, including one home loss where Bosh returned from injury. On June 7, 2012, they won on the road at Boston beating the Celtics 98–79 to tie the series 3–3; James had 45 points and 15 rebounds. The deciding Game 7 was at Miami. The Celtics largely dominated during the first half. The second half saw several lead changes. The Heat eventually won 101–88, reaching the NBA Finals for the second straight year, and third overall. In the much anticipated match-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Heat split the first two games, winning Game 2 on the road, before sweeping the next three at home. James was named the Finals MVP as he won his first NBA championship.

On July 11, 2012, the Heat officially signed veterans Ray Allen to a three-year contract and Rashard Lewis to a two-year contract. The Heat would go on a 27-game winning streak between February 3, 2013 and March 27, 2013, defeating Orlando in the season finale set the franchise record for 66 wins in a season. By the end of the season, the Heat won 18 of its 19 road games, the best streak on the road to end a season in NBA history. The Heat went 17–1 in March, becoming the first team to win 17 games in a single calendar month. The Heat ended with a franchise-best and league-best 66–16 record to take the 1st seed in the 2013 NBA Playoffs. They swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and defeated the Chicago Bulls in five games before winning against the Indiana Pacers in Game 7. Miami became the first Eastern Conference team to reach the NBA Finals in three straight years since the Chicago Bulls in the late 1990s. Miami lost Game 1 of the Finals on their home floor in a close game that was decided by a last minute buzzer beater by Tony Parker. The Heat went on to win Game 2 with a 33–5 run in the second half. The two teams continued to trade wins leading up to Game 6 where the Spurs, up 10 heading in the 4th quarter, were in position to close out the series and win the championship. James went on to score 16 points in the period, outscoring the entire Spurs team by himself at one point and Allen hit a game-tying three with five seconds remaining. The Heat won in overtime and went on to defeat the Spurs 95–88 in Game 7 behind a 37-point and 12 rebound performance from James, tying Boston Celtics legend Tom Heinsohn's record in 1957 for the most points scored in a Game 7 Finals win (including a clutch 17-foot jumper) and a 23-point and 10 rebound effort from Wade. Shane Battier also scored 18 points behind 6–8 shooting from 3, after having a shooting slump during the postseason up to that point while Bosh and Allen went scoreless. The Heat captured the NBA title for a second year in a row (giving the Spurs their first loss in the NBA Finals), becoming the first team in the Eastern Conference to repeat as league champions since the late 1990s Bulls. James was named the NBA Finals MVP, becoming the fifth player to win the award back-to-back along with Michael JordanBill RussellKobe BryantShaquille O'Neal, and Hakeem Olajuwon and only the second player in NBA history to win the championship, Finals MVP, and league MVP back-to-back along with Jordan.

Miami struggled throughout the 2013–14 season with extended absences of Wade, who only played 54 games due to injury and ended on an 11–14 record entering the playoffs. They entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference 2nd seed with a record of 54–28 team, and with the "Big 3" healthy. They went 12–3 in the first 3 rounds. They swept the Charlotte Bobcats in the first round. They then beat the Brooklyn Nets 4–1 in the semifinals. They went on to play the 1st seeded 56–26 Indiana Pacers in the Conference Finals, in a rematch of the previous year's Conference Finals. The Pacers were eliminated from the playoffs for a third consecutive year by the Heat in six games. The Heat went to a fourth consecutive Finals, become the first team since the Larry Bird-led Celtics (19841987) to make four consecutive NBA Finals appearances. In the NBA Finals, the Heat faced the San Antonio Spurs in a rematch of last year's NBA Finals. The first two games in San Antonio were split, but the Heat fell to the Spurs 4–1, failing to repeat as champions for the third consecutive season.

2014–2016: Post-"Big Three" and rebuilding[]

On July 11, 2014, James had announced on SI.com that after opting out of the final year of his contract, he would leave the Heat and return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wade and Bosh stayed in Miami. Like the Cavaliers in the 2010 off-season, the Heat focused on how it would maintain itself without LeBron. Wade and Bosh were joined by returning players Mario ChalmersNorris ColeUdonis Haslem, and Chris Andersen along with former rivals Luol Deng and Danny Granger. The Heat also drafted Shabazz Napier and James Ennis. In 2015, they also gained Goran Dragić and his younger brother Zoran Dragić.

After a season with several injuries, including to Bosh and Josh McRoberts, the Heat finished the season with a 37–45 record, the NBA's 10th worst. They failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008 after being Eastern Conference champions four straight years. It was the second time in Wade's career that they did not qualify for the postseason. The Heat were the first team since the 2004–05 Los Angeles Lakers to miss the playoffs after going to the NBA Finals the previous year. Miami had qualified for the playoffs for six consecutive seasons.

At the 2015 NBA Draft lottery, the Heat were awarded the 10th pick for the draft, which was used to select Duke forward Justise Winslow.

During the 2015–16 season, the Heat compiled a 48–34 regular season record. The Heat defeated the Charlotte Hornets in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. However, their season ended in the Conference Semifinals where they lost to the Toronto Raptors in seven games. The 2016 free agency was marked with relationship issues and disagreements between Dwyane Wade and Heat president Pat Riley, mostly focusing on how much Wade would get paid.

2016–2019: Departure, return, and retirement of Wade[]

On July 6, 2016, Wade announced that he was leaving the Heat to go join his hometown Chicago Bulls.

In September 2016, Bosh suffered numerous setbacks and failed his physical exam with the Heat and was not cleared by the team to participate in training camp. On September 26, 2016, Heat president Riley said that the team doubted about Bosh's return on the court and viewed his career with the team as over, and noted that the team was no longer working toward his return. On July 4, 2017, the Heat waived Bosh after the NBA's ruling on June 2, 2017, which declared that Bosh's blood clotting issues were a career-ending illness. After waiving Bosh, team's president Riley announced that Bosh's number would be retired in the future out of respect to him and due to his accomplishments with the Heat. On February 8, 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Dwyane Wade back to the Miami Heat.

Wade would spend his last two seasons with the Heat, and retired after the 2018–19 season.

2020–present: The Jimmy Butler era[]

2019–20 season: Arrival of Jimmy Butler and Eastern Conference re–dominance[]

Jimmy Butler Heat

Jimmy Butler signed with the Heat via a sign and trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in a four-team trade in the 2019 offseason, and has since led the Heat through deep playoff runs in the early 2020s, including NBA Finals appearances in 2020 and 2023.

In the 2019–20 season, Miami acquired All-Star Jimmy Butler, then three-time champion and former Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, and Jae Crowder, and drafted Kentucky shooting guard Tyler Herro.

Following the suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season, the Heat were one of the 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble to participate in the final 8 games of the regular season.

The Heat finished the regular season with 44–29 record, securing the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference.

In the playoffs, the Heat defeated swept the Indiana Pacers in four games in the first round, then upset the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the semifinals, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014. There, the Heat defeated the Boston Celtics in six games in a rematch of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, winning the franchise's sixth Eastern Conference championship in fifteen seasons, going 12–3 and returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, where they faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers (led by former Heat player LeBron James), losing in six games. This was the first time that both teams missed the previous year's playoffs faced each other in the Finals.

2020–21: Post–Finals season[]

After a historically short 72-day off-season, in the 2020–21 season, the Heat entered the season as both the defending Southeast Division and Eastern Conference champions. However, the Heat struggled to find consistency throughout the season.

With a win over the Boston Celtics 129–121, the Heat returned to the playoffs for the second straight year on May 11, 2021.

The Heat finished the regular season with a 40–32 record, clinching the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference.

In the playoffs, the Heat faced the No. 3 seed Milwaukee Bucks, the team they upset in last season's Semifinals, in the first round. The Heat would go on to lose in four games to the eventual champion Bucks in a sweep. The 2021 offseason saw the departures of Dragic and Iguodala, along with the acquisition of veteran Kyle Lowry and P.J. Tucker.

2021–22: Top seed in the East[]

The 2021–22 season marked Miami's first season where they played their home games in the newly-renamed FTX Arena.

On March 18, 2022, with a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Heat won their 15th Southeast Division title. On April 7, 2022, for only the fourth time in their history, they clinched the No. 1 Seed in the Eastern Conference. The Heat finished the regular season with a 53–29 record, sitting atop the Eastern Conference as the top seed.

In the playoffs, the Heat defeated the 9th-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round in five games, winning their first playoff series since 2020. They advanced to the semifinals, where they faced the 4th-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. The two teams previously met in the first round of the 2011 and 2018 Playoffs, with the Heat winning the first meeting and the 76ers winning the second, both in five games. This time, however, the Heat defeated the 76ers in six games, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in three seasons, where they faced the 2nd-seeded Boston Celtics and attempted to make their second NBA Finals appearance in three seasons. It is a rematch of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, in which the Heat won in six games to advance to the 2020 Finals. This is the third meeting between the two teams in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Heat having won the past two meetings (2012, 2020). However, the Heat lost in seven games after Butler missed a three.

2022–23: 8th seed wonder and 7th NBA Finals appearance[]

The 2022-23 season, the Heat finished as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, qualifying for the play-in tournament; however, they managed to clinch their division title. In the first play-in game, they lost to the Hawks, who eventually clinched the seventh seed in the NBA Playoffs. Despite this, the Heat managed to enter the playoffs as the eighth seed after defeating the Chicago Bulls in the final seeding game. They faced the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in their third playoff meeting in four seasons, and eventually defeated them in five games, becoming the sixth team to eliminate a top-seeded team in the first round. In the second round, the Heat faced the New York Knicks, who had beaten the Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games. Throughout the series, Miami showed dominance and ultimately beat them 4–2 becoming the 2nd 8th seed in NBA history to make the Conference Finals since the New York Knicks themselves did it in 1999. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat faced the Boston Celtics, a familiar matchup. Throughout the first three games of the series the Heat took an unexpected 3–0 lead against the Celtics. (As of this series, the record for teams with a 3–0 lead was 150–0 after the Denver Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, which marked the first time the Nuggets had defeated the Lakers in a playoff series, having previously gone 0-7 against the Lakers in the playoffs) Their dominance was cut short though, as Boston won the next three games, tying the series 3–3. This was the 4th time that a team tied the series after being down 3–0 and the first time that one of those teams would play in home.

Fortunately for the Heat, they avoided blowing a 3–0 lead entirely to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 103–84 Game 7 win on May 29, 2023, becoming the first 8-seed to reach the NBA Finals since the 1999 New York Knicks. They would later break that Knicks team's record for wins in a postseason by an 8-seed by notching their 13th victory of the 2023 playoffs when they won Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets. The defeat of Boston earned Miami their seventh Eastern Conference championship. Unfortunately, the Heat's season would end in a five-game Finals loss to the Nuggets, a former ABA team that won its first NBA championship (echoing a similar fate suffered by the Knicks in 1999, when the San Antonio Spurs, also a former ABA team, won their first NBA championship, which began their run of four more NBA championships won through the next 15 years).

2023–24: Post-Finals season[]

In the 2023–24 season, the Heat entered the season as the defending Eastern Conference champions and league runners-up after losing to the Denver Nuggets in the previous season's NBA Finals in five games and attempt to qualify for back-to-back Finals appearances for the first time since 2013 and 2014, and win the Finals for the first time since 2013. This is the first season since 2002–03 without Udonis Haslem on the team's roster, as he retired from the NBA after 20 years the previous season. They slightly improved upon their record from the previous year, finishing the regular season with a 46–36 record as the 8th seed, qualifying for the NBA Play-In Tournament for a second consecutive season. In the first play-in game, they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, who eventually clinched the seventh seed in the NBA Playoffs. Despite this, the Heat managed to enter the playoffs as the eighth seed after defeating the Chicago Bulls in the final seeding game, just like in the previous season. However, the Heat lost star Jimmy Butler to a sprained right MCL injury during the Play-in game against the 76ers, and he would miss several weeks, thus ruling him out of the first round of the playoffs. In the playoffs, the Heat faced the top-seeded Boston Celtics for the third time in four seasons in a rematch of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, which the Heat won in seven games despite blowing a 3–0 lead. Only this time, however, the Celtics would get their revenge on the Heat, as without Jimmy Butler alongside poor shooting by the team, the Heat were defeated by the Celtics in five games.

With the 2024 off-season coming up, Jimmy Butler's future with the team is in the boiling pot. Although Butler shows interest in signing a max contract with the Heat, other teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors have shown interest in Butler. The question remains, will the Heat keep Jimmy and possibly find him a star-teammate? Or will they ship him off to begin a new era of Heat basketball.

Uniforms[]

1988–1999 uniforms[]

Unveiled prior to the 1988–89 season, the original Miami Heat uniforms consist of simple striping, exclusive only on the right side of the jersey and shorts. The home uniforms were white with lettering in red, black, and orange trim, while the away uniforms were black with red, white and orange trim; the numbers were white with red, black, and orange trim, using the same font as the classic Los Angeles Lakers jerseys. The original 'flaming ball' logo is on the left leg of the shorts while the word 'Miami' is on the right leg.

In the 1995–96 season, the Heat introduced a red alternate uniform with lettering and numbers in black, white, and orange trim. The original set lasted until the 1998–99 season.

The original white and red uniforms were reintroduced as throwback uniforms during the Heat's 20th and 25th anniversary seasons, respectively, while the original black uniforms were used as throwbacks in the 2013–14 season. The classic white uniforms were used again for the 2015–16 season.

As part of Nike's uniform contract with the NBA, the so-called "Classic" edition was introduced and featured modernized throwback uniform designs from past years. During the 2017–18 season, the Heat were one of eight teams who participated in this line and wore their black 1988–99 uniforms, updated to the current Nike uniform cut.

1999–present uniforms[]

The current Heat uniforms have been in use since the 1999–2000 season. These uniforms, though similar, have marked differences such as striping on both sides, change from orange to yellow trim, updated lettering and block numbers, and a modified 'flaming ball' logo on the right leg. The black away uniform numbers are now consistent with the lettering colors (white with red trim).

The alternate red uniform was introduced during the 2001–02 season, and features the city name and numbers in white with black trim. With subtle changes like the "Miami" wordmark on the black uniforms and the addition of the "MH" alternate logo on the shorts, these uniforms remain in use with the Heat today.

Following the switch to Nike as the uniform provider in the 2017–18 season, the Heat's current uniforms now fall under three categories. The white uniforms are part of the "Association" line, the black uniforms are on the "Icon" line and the red uniforms are assigned to the "Statement" line. All three uniforms are now used regardless of home or away games.

Special uniforms[]

Since the 2007–08 season, the Heat participated in the NBA's Noche Latina promotions, or Latin Nights. From 2008 to 2014, the Heat wore a modified version of their black uniforms, featuring the wordmark "El Heat"; a sleeved version was used in 2014. For the 2014–15 season, the Heat wore their white uniforms with the "El Heat" wordmark, followed by the Noche Latina version of their red alternates in the 2015–16 season.

The Heat wore a variation of their current home uniforms on the opening night of the 2012–13 season, with gold accents and a patch of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy on the right chest. They used another variation on opening night of the 2013–14 season, this time with gold lettering.

During the 2013–14 season, the Heat wore a variation of their current home uniforms, but with the player's names at the back replaced by their nicknames (e.g. 'King James' for LeBron James). They wore the uniforms for select home games that season.

From 2012 to 2014, the Heat wore special monochrome uniforms: an all-black ensemble in the 2011–12 season, an all-white version in the 2012–13 season, and an all-red attire in the 2013–14 season. In 2015, a variation of their all-black uniforms, featuring drop shadows, centered numbers and heavy striping inspired from a tuxedo, was used, followed by a similarly designed white uniform in the 2016–17 season.

The 2015–16 season saw the unveiling of two special uniforms. One featured a blend of modern and classic styles (Heat Legacy), while the other is a military-inspired uniform (Home Strong).

The Heat also participated in the Christmas Day games wearing special uniforms. In 2012, they wore monochrome red uniforms known as "Big Color." The following year, they wore their "Big Logo" sleeved uniforms, featuring a chrome-treated version of their "flaming ball" logo. In 2014, the Heat wore a variation of their home uniform, featuring their primary logo and centered numbers in front, and black nameplates with the player's first name below the number at the back.

The Heat have also honored the ABA's Miami Floridians by donning throwback uniforms; first the road jerseys in the 2005–06 season, then the home jerseys in the 2011–12 season.

In the 2017–18 season, the Heat wore special "City" uniforms (named as such by Nike to commemorate local cultures and team traditions) that paid homage to the hit 1980s TV series Miami Vice. The uniforms were white with pink, light blue and black trim and featured the "Miami" wordmark inspired from the logo of the Miami Arena. For the 2018–19 season, the Heat released black versions of the Miami Vice uniforms. In addition, a pink version of the uniform was unveiled as part of Nike's "Earned" series which were exclusive only to the 16 teams that qualified in the 2018 NBA Playoffs. A light blue version of the uniforms was used in the 2019–20 season. The Vice theme continued with the 2020–21 "City" uniform, this time featuring a pink and blue gradient and black letters.

In the 2021–22 season, the Heat wore special "City" uniforms that mixed various uniform styles used by the team. The black-based uniform featured a mix of lettering taken from the Heat's previous and current uniform sets, including the throwback Floridians and Miami Vice "City" set. Players were allowed to choose their own number styles.

Miami's 2021 "Earned" uniform (rewarded after making the 2020 NBA Playoffs) marked the first time the team used yellow as a base color; previously it was only utilized as an accent color on the logo and uniforms. Letters were rendered in black with white trim, but red was not used at all in the uniform.

Trivia[]

  • Harold Miner won the Slam Dunk contest twice (1993 and 1995) as a member of the Heat.
  • Glen Rice won the Three Point Shootout Contest in 1995 as a member of the Miami Heat.
  • Dwyane Wade's jersey was the best-selling for 2005–2006 season. [1] [2]
  • For seven games in the 2005–06 season, the Heat wore 1971–1972 Floridians jerseys as part of the NBA's Hardwood Classics series. Additionally, the Heat dance team also wore the Floridian bikinis and white go-go boots during these games. [3]
  • During the 2004–05 season, the Heat's roster contained the first three players selected in the 1992 NBA Draft:
  • Further, at various points over the 14 years since the 1992 NBA Draft, Miami has had 9 out of the first 12 players selected in that draft on their roster: O'Neal (2004—2008), Mourning (1995–2003, 2005-2008), Laettner (2004–05) Jim Jackson (2001–02), LaPhonso Ellis (2001–03), Walt Williams (1996), Todd Day (1997–98), Clarence Weatherspoon (1998–2000), and Harold Miner (1992–95). During the 2004–2005 season, the Heat were the first NBA team to have the number one, two and three top picks from same draft (1992) on the same team (O'Neal, Mourning, Laettner).
  • Four players (three current players and a former player, Tim Hardaway) from the Miami Heat have appeared on the cover of NBA Live, Shaquille O'Neal in 1996; Tim Hardaway in 1998; Antoine Walker in 1999, Dwyane Wade in 2006. Shaquille O'Neal has appeared on the NBA 2K series in two consecutive years, on NBA 2K6 and NBA 2K7 as well as in NBA 2K18.
  • The Heat retired Michael Jordan's number 23 jersey for his contributions to the NBA, even though he never played for the team. When first hung, it was half Wizard blue and half Bull red. It is now an all red Chicago Bulls jersey.
  • In 2006, not only did the Heat win the NBA Championship, but the organization's cheerleading/dance team, the Heat Dancers, were the #1 dance team in the NBA as voted by the NBA fans, and one of the Heat Dancers (Layla El) won the WWE Diva Search.
  • The 2005/2006 Basketball season was an especially successful one for the State of Florida, as both the NBA champions and the NCAA champions hailed from the same state. The Florida Gators won the NCAA tourney over the UCLA Bruins several months before the Heat won their title.

Season-by-season records[]

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Percentage

Season W L % Playoffs Results
Miami Heat
1988-89 15 67 .183
1989-90 18 64 .220
1990-91 24 58 .293
1991-92 43 39 .524 Lost First Round Chicago 3, Miami 0
1992-93 36 46 .439
1993-94 42 40 .512 Lost First Round Atlanta 3, Miami 2
1994-95 32 50 .390
1995-96 42 40 .512 Lost First Round Chicago 3, Miami 0
1996-97 61 21 .744 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
Miami 3, Orlando 2
Miami 4, New York 2
Chicago 4, Miami 1
1997-98 55 27 .671 Lost First Round New York 3, Miami 2
1998-99 33 17 .660 Lost First Round New York 3, Miami 2
1999-00 52 30 .634 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
Miami 3, Detroit 0
New York 4, Miami 3
2000-01 50 32 .610 Lost First Round Charlotte 3, Miami 0
2001-02 36 46 .439
2002-03 25 57 .305
2003-04 42 40 .512 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
Miami 4, New Orleans 3
Indiana 4, Miami 2
2004-05 59 23 .720 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
Miami 4, New Jersey 0
Miami 4, Washington 0
Detroit 4, Miami 3
2005-06 52 30 .634 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals
Miami 4, Chicago 2
Miami 4, New Jersey 1
Miami 4, Detroit 2
Miami 4, Dallas 2
2006-07 44 38 .537 Lost First Round Chicago 4, Miami 0
2007-08 15 67 .183
2008-09 43 39 .524 Lost First Round Atlanta 4, Miami 3
2009-10 47 35 .573 Lost First Round Boston 4, Miami 1
2010-11 58 24 .707 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Lost NBA Finals
Miami 4, Philadelphia 1
Miami 4, Boston 1
Miami 4, Chicago 1
Dallas 4, Miami 2
2011-12 46 20 .697 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals
Miami 4, New York 1
Miami 4, Indiana 2
Miami 4, Boston 3
Miami 4, Oklahoma City 1
2012-13 66 16 .805 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals
Miami 4, Milwaukee 0
Miami 4, Chicago 1
Miami 4, Indiana 3
Miami 4, San Antonio 3
2013-14 54 28 .659 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Lost NBA Finals
Miami 4, Charlotte 0
Miami 4, Brooklyn 1
Miami 4, Indiana 2
San Antonio 4, Miami 1
2014-15 37 45 .451
2015-16 48 34 .585 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals
Miami 4, Charlotte 3
Toronto 4, Miami 3
2016-17 41 41 .500
2017-18 44 38 .537 Lost First Round Philadelphia 4, Miami 1
2018-19 39 43 .476
2019-20 44 29 .603 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Lost NBA Finals
Miami 4, Indiana 0
Miami 4, Milwaukee 1
Miami 4, Boston 2
LA Lakers 4, Miami 2
2020-21 40 32 .556 Lost First Round Milwaukee 4, Miami 0
2021-22 53 29 .646 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals
Miami 4, Atlanta 1
Miami 4, Philadelphia 2
Boston 4, Miami 3
2022-23 44 38 .537 Lost Play-in game for No. 7 seed
Won Play-in game for No. 8 seed
Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Lost NBA Finals
Atlanta 116, Miami 105
Miami 102, Chicago 91
Miami 4, Milwaukee 1
Miami 4, New York 2
Miami 4, Boston 3
Denver 4, Miami 1
2023-24 46 36 .561 Lost Play-in game for No. 7 seed
Won Play-in game for No. 8 seed
Lost First Round
Philadelphia 105, Miami 104
Miami 112, Chicago 91
Boston 4, Miami 1
Totals 1338 1229 .521
Playoffs 136 103 .569 3 Championships

Players[]

Current roster[]

Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From
F/C 13 Adebayo, Bam 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1997-07-18 Kentucky
C 31 Bryant, Thomas 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1997-07-31 Indiana
G 18 Burks, Alec 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 214 lb (97 kg) 1991-07-20 Colorado
F 22 Butler, Jimmy 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1989-09-14 Marquette
G 8 Christopher, Josh (TW) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 2001-12-08 Arizona State
G 14 Herro, Tyler 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2000-01-20 Kentucky
F 24 Highsmith, Haywood 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1996-12-09 Wheeling
F 11 Jaquez, Jaime Jr. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 2001-02-18 UCLA
F 20 Johnson, Keshad (TW) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 224 lb (102 kg) 2001-06-23 Arizona
F 5 Jović, Nikola 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 2003-06-09 Serbia
G 9 Larsson, Pelle 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 212 lb (96 kg) 2001-02-23 Arizona
F 42 Love, Kevin 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1988-09-07 UCLA
G 17 Pullin, Zyon 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 206 lb (93 kg) 2001-03-03 Florida
G 0 Richardson, Josh (FA) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1993-09-15 Tennessee
F 55 Robinson, Duncan 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1994-04-22 Michigan
G 2 Rozier, Terry 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1994-03-17 Louisville
G 12 Smith, Dru (TW) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 203 lb (92 kg) 1997-12-30 Missouri
G Stevens, Isaiah 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 2000-11-01 Colorado State
C 7 Ware, Kel'el 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 2004-04-20 Indiana
G 15 Williams, Alondes (FA) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1999-06-19 Wake Forest
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: August 5, 2024


Retired numbers[]

The Heat have retired seven numbers, although only six of the players played for the franchise. Michael Jordan was the first player to be honored despite not having played for the Heat. Pat Riley retired Jordan's signature No. 23 before his final game in Miami during the 2002–03 season as a tribute to his career.

During the 2005–06 season, the organization honored Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino's No. 13 in respect of his contributions to the National Football League (NFL)'s Miami Dolphins. However, the No. 13 jersey is not retired and is still available for use by the Heat players.

Miami Heat retired numbers
No. Player Position Tenure
1 Chris Bosh F 2010–2017
3 Dwyane Wade G 2003–2016
2018–2019
6 Bill Russell N/A Retired across NBA on August 11, 2022
10 Tim Hardaway G 1996–2001
23 Michael Jordan G
32 Shaquille O'Neal C 2004–2008
33 Alonzo Mourning C 1995–2002
2005–2008
40 Udonis Haslem F 2003–2023

Coaches[]

Head Coaches
Coach Seasons active
Ron Rothstein 1988/89 – 1990/91
Kevin Loughery 1991/92 – 1994/95
Alvin Gentry 1995
Pat Riley 1995/96 – 2002/03
Stan Van Gundy 2003/04 – 2005
Pat Riley 2005/06— 2007/08
Erik Spoelstra 2008/09-present

Franchise Leaders[]

Statistic(s) Total Player(s)
Games Played 948 Dwayne Wade
Minutes Played 32,912 Dwyane Wade
Field Goals 7,842 Dwyane Wade
Field Goal Attempts 16,227 Dwyane Wade
Field Goal Percentage .596 Shaquille O'Neal
Three-point Field Goals 1,012 Duncan Robinson
Three-point Field Goal Attempts 2,543 Duncan Robinson
Three-point Field Goal Percentage .490 Jason Kapono
Free Throws 5,391 Dwyane Wade
Free Throw Attempts 7,048 Dwyane Wade
Free Throw Percentage .894 Ray Allen
Offensive Rebounds 1,615 Udonis Haslem
Defensive Rebounds 4,176 Udonis Haslem
Rebounds 5,791 Udonis Haslem
Assists 5,310 Dwyane Wade
Steals 1,492 Dwyane Wade
Blocked Shots 1,625 Alonzo Mourning
Turnovers 3,096 Dwyane Wade
Personal Fouls 2,132 Dwayne Wade
Points 21,556 Dwyane Wade
Triple Doubles 12 Jimmy Butler
Win Shares 116.1 Dwayne Wade

Playoff Franchise Leaders[]

Statistic(s) Total Player(s)
Games Played 171 Dwayne Wade
Minutes Played 6,507 Dwyane Wade
Field Goals 1,418 Dwyane Wade
Field Goal Attempts 2,976 Dwyane Wade
Field Goal Percentage N/A Chris Anderson
Three-point Field Goals 145 Duncan Robinson
Three-point Field Goal Attempts 360 Duncan Robinson
Three-point Field Goal Percentage N/A Joel Anthony
Free Throws 931 Dwyane Wade
Free Throw Attempts 1,199 Dwyane Wade
Free Throw Percentage N/A Kendrick Nunn
Rebounds 898 Dwayne Wade
Assists 846 Dwyane Wade
Steals 268 Dwyane Wade
Blocked Shots 171 Alonzo Mourning
Turnovers 573 Dwyane Wade
Personal Fouls 2,132 Dwayne Wade
Points 3,864 Dwyane Wade

See also[]

  • Knicks-Heat Rivalry
  • Celtics-Heat Rivalry

External links[]

Preceded by
San Antonio Spurs
2005
NBA Champions
Miami Heat

2006
Succeeded by
San Antonio Spurs
2007
Preceded by
Dallas Mavericks
2011
NBA Champions
Miami Heat

2012 & 2013
Succeeded by
San Antonio Spurs
2014
National Basketball Association
Commissioners
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