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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 2011–2014, 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.
The Heat are currently regarded as one of the most well-run teams in the league, with excellent team culture and a knack for over-performing in the playoffs.
Home arenas[]
- Miami Arena (1988–1999)
- Kaseya Center (formerly known as the American Airlines Arena and FTX Arena) (2000–present)
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 Charlotte 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.
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.
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[]
Riley (pictured 2007) lead the Heat to its first championship in 2006.
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[]
Spolestra (pictured 2009), the current head coach, lead the Heat to back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 as well as the 2011, 2014, 2020, and 2023 Finals.
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 Jordan, Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille 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 (1984–1987) 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 Chalmers, Norris Cole, Udonis 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[]
Wade (pictured 2018) spent one and a half seasons with the Bulls and Cavs before returning to the Heat to finish his career.
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.
2019–2025: The Jimmy Butler era[]
2019–20 season: Arrival of Jimmy Butler and Eastern Conference re–dominance[]
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 Butler alongside poor shooting by the team, the Heat were defeated by the eventual champion Celtics in five games.
With the 2024 off-season coming up, 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.
Rivalries[]
New York Knicks[]
The rivalry between the New York Knicks and the expansion Heat was a result of their four consecutive playoff series from 1997 to 2000. Each series went seven games. The rivalry's central figure was Pat Riley, the head coach of both teams (the early 1990s for the Knicks and the late 1990s for the Heat). Jeff Van Gundy took over Riley's stint as head coach of the Knicks, while his elder brother Stan Van Gundy was simultaneously an assistant coach for the Heat. Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning had been friends from their Georgetown college basketball period. Larry Johnson, one of the Knicks, held bad blood with Mourning as far back as their days in the Charlotte Hornets.
Chicago Bulls[]
The rivalry with the Chicago Bulls began once the Heat became contenders during the 1990s, a decade dominated by the Bulls and Michael Jordan. During that period, the Heat were eliminated three times by the Bulls, who would go on to win the NBA championship each time. After Jordan retired and the Heat's fall in the early 2000s, the rivalry cooled, but slightly picked up when the Heat faced them in the first round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, which ended in a 4–2 Heat series victory and went on to win the NBA Finals. The Bulls would sweep the defending champion Heat in the first round the next season.
The rivalry has intensified with the resurgence of the Bulls, and the emergence of Derrick Rose and the Heat re-signing Dwyane Wade (who turned down a chance of joining his hometown Bulls) with newly acquired superstars in Chris Bosh and LeBron James (who spurned a chance of teaming up with Rose in Chicago). The revived rivalry has been very physical, involving rough plays and hard fouls between players. Both teams met in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, with the Heat winning in five games.
The Bulls ended the Heat's record-setting 27 game win streak on March 27, 2013, with a 101–97 victory at the United Center in Chicago. Despite playing without Rose, Joakim Noah, Richard Hamilton, and Marco Belinelli, the Bulls managed to end the second longest win streak in basketball history.
The rivalry would continue into the 2013 NBA Playoffs when the Heat would play the Bulls in the second round. The Bulls ended another Heat winning streak by beating the Heat 93–87 in Game 1. The Heat came back in Game 2 and set a record for the largest margin of victory in franchise playoff history with a 115–78 win. The Bulls also set a record for the worst playoff defeat in franchise history. The 51 personal fouls were the most in a playoff game since 1995. In Game 3, Nazr Mohammed was ejected for shoving James early in the second quarter. Norris Cole had his jersey ripped by Taj Gibson while driving to the basket for a layup. Noah was seen applauding and cheering on the image of Bosh arguing with Mario Chalmers. Noah received a technical foul for shoving Chris Andersen after he fell on Nate Robinson. Chalmers received a flagrant foul for ringing his arm around Noah's neck. Gibson and Noah were both ejected in the same game for yelling at the referees.
The two teams met in the 2023 Play-In Tournament to determine the 8th seed for the East. The Heat won to earn the Eastern Conference's 8th seed. They both met again with the Heat once again defeating the Bulls, earning the 8th seed.
Orlando Magic[]
The Heat and Orlando Magic had a rivalry because both teams are located in Florida, thus the rivalry was known as the Sunshine State rivalry. Another ingredient to the rivalry was the high-caliber players on both teams such as Orlando's Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway to Miami's Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway. The two had met each other in the NBA Playoffs for the first time in 1997, with Miami beating Orlando 3–2, they have not met in the playoffs since.
The rivalry intensified during the 2000s and early 2010s with the rising stardom of Miami's and Orlando's Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard, along with Miami's acquiring high-caliber stars such LeBron James from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chris Bosh from the Toronto Raptors and in 2010, resulting in fierce competition between the two.
When Howard departed from the Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers in August 2012, the rivalry softened. The Magic are undergoing a process of rebuilding, however, competition still remains tense.
Boston Celtics[]
The two teams first squared off in the playoffs in 2010, with the Celtics defeating the Heat four games to one en route to an eventual NBA Finals appearance by the Celtics. Having suffered first-round losses in three straight years, it was the loss to the Celtics that prompted Dwyane Wade to declare that the loss would be "my last" in the first round for the near future.
LeBron James' own enmity with the Celtics can be found as far back as his first stint with the Cavaliers, where the Celtics upset the Cavaliers in 2008 and 2010 in the Semifinals. Among the two Heat stars, Wade went as far as to say that he personally hates the Celtics, with James' own disdain for Boston manifesting in how he referred to the Celtics exclusively as "that team" in 2011. With the acquisition of both James and Chris Bosh in 2010, the Heat challenged the Celtics for dominance in the Eastern Conference; James claimed that the formation of the Heat's Big 3 was to mirror the formation of the Celtics' Big 3 in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. After dropping the first three games versus the Celtics in the regular season, Miami prevailed in their fourth encounter, taking the second seed from the Celtics and gaining home-court advantage for their eventual match-up of the postseason. The teams met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, where Pierce was ejected in Game 1, Wade inadvertently broke Rajon Rondo's arm in Game 3 and James scored the final 10 points in the deciding Game 5. James could be found roaring to the fans as the Celtics' end came, even kneeling to the ground in relief after finally defeating the Celtics. The rivalry would continue in the following season, where the Heat again took home-court advantage over the Celtics, though Boston again won the season series over the Heat. Despite the loss of Bosh to injury in the Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers, the Heat took a 2–0 lead before the Celtics won the next three games; the first five games included two overtimes, Rondo's 44-point performance in Game 2, as well as Pierce and James fouling out in Game 4. James' famous 45-point performance in Game 6 at Boston forced a deciding seventh game, where the two teams traded blows deep into the third and fourth quarters, before Miami pulled away with a 4–3 victory en route to winning the 2012 NBA Finals.
In the off-season, the Celtics' Big 3 was broken up following Allen's joining of the Heat. When asked about their immediate reactions to their teammate leaving for their rival, Garnett claimed that he deleted Allen's phone number, while Pierce admitted that it "hurt", though he still considers Allen "a brother to me" for their 2008 championship run. Although the two teams would not meet in the playoffs, the animosity continued in their four regular season games. The season opener – a Heat victory – included Rondo clotheslining Wade's neck, Garnett snubbing a handshake from Allen pre-game, and Garnett throwing an elbow at Chalmers. During Miami's 27 win streak, Pierce went on record to say that he wished for Miami to lose all of its remaining games by that point. When James voiced his displeasure over the Chicago Bulls' physicality against him, Boston's general manager Danny Ainge called it "embarrassing" for LeBron to complain about it. Riley, the Heat team president, retorted that "Danny should shut the f*ck up." The teams met during the streak, where it was five years to the day that the Celtics' stopped the Houston Rockets' own 20+-game winning streak. It ended in a Heat victory, one that featured James dunking on Jason Terry; he received a technical foul for staring down at Terry post-dunk. When asked about it after the game by reporters, James stated that he was "glad it happened to him."
From 2020 to 2023, the Heat and the Celtics faced each other in the Eastern Conference Finals for three out of four of the years. The Heat won the first and third meetings, with the Celtics winning the second. The Heat and the Celtics would lose all the Finals that played in from those years. In 2024, the Heat and Celtics faced off in the first round, but the Heat were playing without Jimmy Butler, lost in five games, and the Celtics won the championship that year.
Indiana Pacers[]
A recent rivalry was triggered with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs though the two previously met in the 2004 NBA Playoffs (when Indiana won 4–2). Both head coaches were fined for statements made relating to the officiating: Frank Vogel accused the Heat of flopping before the series started, while Erik Spoelstra took offense to what he perceived to be deliberate head-hunting of his players on the part of the Pacers. Indiana took a 2–1 lead after Miami's Chris Bosh was sidelined with an abdominal strain. Powered by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, Miami won three straight games to take the series, 4–2. The series was marked by several suspensions, flagrant fouls, and confrontations between the players: Tyler Hansbrough's flagrant foul on Wade (which drew blood), Udonis Haslem's retaliatory flagrant foul on Hansborough (which led to Haslem's Game 6 suspension), Wade colliding with Darren Collison in transition, Juwan Howard confronting Lance Stephenson over the latter's flashing of the choke sign to James, and Dexter Pittman elbowing Stephenson in the neck (which led to his own three-game suspension). Indiana's Danny Granger received technical fouls in three consecutive games for his confrontations with Heat players; he stripped James of his headband in Game 2 while attempting to block a shot, pulled the back of James' jersey in Game 3 while trying to stop a fast-break, and chest-bumped Wade in Game 4 after the latter was fouled by Roy Hibbert.
The following season saw improvements for both teams, from Miami's acquisition of Ray Allen and Chris Andersen, to the emergence of Paul George and Lance Stephenson. Notably, it was after the Heat lost to the Pacers that they compiled a 27-game winning streak; the last time the Heat lost two in a row in the year were the games against Indiana and Portland Trail Blazers. During the waning minutes of Game 6 in the Semifinals between the Pacers and New York Knicks, the Pacers' fans were chanting "Beat the Heat" as their team beat their old New York rivals. True to form, the Heat and Pacers met in the Conference Finals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs on May 22, 2013. Several instances of physicality became prominent in the series: Shane Battier received an offensive foul for throwing his knee at Hibbert's midsection; Hibbert claimed that it was an intentional dirty play on the part of Battier. Andersen suffered a bloodied nose after colliding with David West. Ian Mahinmi received a retroactive flagrant foul for a grab of James' arm. Norris Cole latched a hand on West's groin area as he tried to slip through West. Wade received a retroactive flagrant foul for hitting Stephenson in the head, another incident that the Pacers, notably Paul George, felt was a dirty play. The Heat survived Game 1 on a James game-winning layup, while the Pacers came back to tie the series at 1–1 after forcing James into two late fourth-quarter turnovers for Game 2. In Game 3, the Heat set a team record for points in a postseason half with 70. It was the first time the Pacers had given up 70 points since 1992. Allen's single turnover was the least ever suffered by the Heat in a first half. Their five total turnovers is tied for the fewest in franchise history. The Game 3 victory marked the first time that an NBA team had won five straight road games by double digits. The Heat won the series 4–3, with a 99–76 win in Game 7 and eventually their second consecutive championship.
In the 2014 NBA Playoffs, after beating the Brooklyn Nets in five games, and the Pacers beating the Washington Wizards in six games, the Heat and the first-seeded Pacers would meet up in the Eastern Conference Finals in a much-anticipated rematch. The Heat would go on to eliminate the Pacers 4–2, advancing to their fourth consecutive NBA Finals in the Big Three-era. The Heat stumbled during Game 1 in Indianapolis, falling 107–96. They would win the next three games, but during Game 5, which Miami lost 93–90, James struggled, suffering heavy foul trouble and scoring only seven points, his lowest playoff record. During Game 6 in Miami, the Heat would defeat the Pacers 117–92.
Dallas Mavericks[]
The Heat–Mavericks rivalry began in the 2006 NBA Finals, where the two teams met and both entering their first NBA Finals appearance. A year prior, the Heat had acquired Shaquille O'Neal. The Mavericks were led by Dirk Nowitzki, and the Heat were led by Dwyane Wade. Dallas had home-court advantage in the series due to a better regular season record (60–22) than Miami's (52–30) and took the first two games in the series, entering Game 3 with a commanding 2–0 lead. They looked set to win Game 3 until a rally by the Heat, including many free throws from Wade, resulted in the Mavericks losing the third game. The Heat won all of its home games, as the Mavericks dropped games 3, 4 and 5. In a highly controversial Game 5, a 101–100 victory for the Heat, Wade shot more free throws than the entire Mavericks team. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, as well as Nowitzki, were both fined for acts of misconduct. During Game 6, the series returned to Dallas, where the Mavericks fell 95–92. Jason Terry airballed a three-point attempt that could have tied the game. Wade picked up the ball, throwing it in the air in celebration as the Heat won the NBA Championship, and its first one as well. Wade was named the Finals MVP.
In the 2010 off-season, Miami acquired LeBron James from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chris Bosh from the Toronto Raptors to team up with Wade and form their own "Big Three" (to rival the Celtics' Big Three) that was expected to win the championship. The Heat finished 58–24, acquiring the southeast division title and the second seed in the Eastern Conference. During the regular season, the Mavericks swept the Heat 2–0. The Heat cruised through the pp2011 NBA Playoffs|playoffs[[ without much competition, eliminating every team – the Philadelphia 76ers, defending Eastern Conference champions Boston Celtics, and the top-seeded Chicago Bulls all five games. Meanwhile, the Mavericks had tallied 57–25 for the third seed, leaving them to face the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. The Mavericks had been defeated in the first round all, but one time since the 2006 Finals, including a defeat from the seventh-seeded San Antonio Spurs just the previous season. Because of this, the Mavericks were underdogs throughout the playoffs, but they were able to dispatch Portland in six games. They faced the two-time defending NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers and pulled off the impossible by sweeping them, ending their bid for a three-peat. In the Conference Finals, they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, resulting a rematch between the two teams. After taking a 2–1 lead however, the Heat stumbled in the next three games. They were eliminated on their own home floor after losing 105–95 during Game 6 in Miami – extending LeBron's quest for a ring. The loss had also brought further public humiliation for James, who had been scrutinized and negatively criticized for leaving the Cavaliers to join the Heat. LeBron was criticized for only averaging 17.8 points. Cavaliers fans rejoiced in the Heat's loss due to the anger that was caused by LeBron's decision to join the Heat, which they felt was unfair and a betrayal.
After that, the Mavericks would never win another game against the Heat. Dallas hosted the Heat for the season opener on December 25, 2011, of the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season that was shortened to 66 games. The Heat spoiled the Mavericks' championship banner-raising night, giving them a 105–94 loss.
Although the Heat and the Mavericks have not met in the postseason ever since, the rivalry continued as Mark Cuban publicly discussed his extreme personal dislike for the Heat. He described "hate" was not being strong enough of a word to describe his dislike for the Heat. He also had a personal dislike for Wade.
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 |
| 2024-25 | 37 | 45 | .451 | Won Play-in game for chance at No. 8 seed Won Play-in game for No. 8 seed Lost First Round |
Miami 109, Chicago 90 Miami 123, Atlanta 114 Cleveland 4, Miami 0 |
| Totals | 1375 | 1274 | .519 | ||
| Playoffs | 136 | 107 | .559 | 3 Championships | |
Players[]
Current roster[]
| Miami Heat 2024-25 season roster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Kyle Anderson • 2 Terry Rozier • 4 Isaiah Stevens • 5 Nikola Jovic • 7 Kel'el Ware • 8 Josh Christopher • 9 Pelle Larson • 11 Jaime Jaquez Jr. • 12 Dru Smith • 13 Bam Adebayo • 14 Tyler Herro • 16 Keshad Johnson • 18 Alec Burks • 22 Andrew Wiggins • 24 Haywood Highsmith • 42 Kevin Love • 45 Davion Mitchell • 55 Duncan Robinson | ||||
| Players who left during the season | ||||
| Not yet applicable | ||||
| Head coach: Erik Spoelstra | ||||
| Regular Season • Playoffs • Finals | ||||
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 |
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 | 1,202 | Duncan Robinson |
| Three-point Field Goal Attempts | 3,026 | 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 | 13 | 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 | 147 | Duncan Robinson |
| Three-point Field Goal Attempts | 368 | 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 | 459 | Dwayne Wade |
| Points | 3,864 | Dwyane Wade |
Individual awards[]
NBA individual awards[]
- LeBron James – 2012, 2013
NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP
- Jimmy Butler – 2023
- Dwyane Wade – 2006
- LeBron James – 2012, 2013
NBA Scoring Champion
- Dwyane Wade – 2009
NBA Defensive Player of the Year
- Alonzo Mourning – 1999, 2000
NBA Most Improved Player Award
- Rony Seikaly – 1990
- Isaac Austin – 1997
- Tyler Herro – 2022
Best NBA Player ESPY Award
- Dwyane Wade – 2006
- LeBron James – 2012, 2013
- Pat Riley – 1997
NBA Executive of the Year
- Pat Riley – 2011
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
- P.J. Brown – 1997
- Alonzo Mourning – 2002
Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award
- Shane Battier – 2014
NBA Community Assist Award
- Dwyane Wade – 2013
All-NBA First Team
- Tim Hardaway – 1997
- Alonzo Mourning – 1999
- Shaquille O'Neal – 2005, 2006
- Dwyane Wade – 2009, 2010
- LeBron James – 2011–2014
All-NBA Second Team
- Tim Hardaway – 1998, 1999
- Alonzo Mourning – 2000
- Dwyane Wade – 2005, 2006, 2011
- Jimmy Butler – 2023
All-NBA Third Team
- Dwyane Wade – 2007, 2012, 2013
- Jimmy Butler – 2020, 2021
NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Alonzo Mourning – 1999, 2000
- LeBron James – 2011–2013
- Bam Adebayo – 2024
NBA All-Defensive Second Team
- P.J. Brown – 1997, 1999
- Bruce Bowen – 2001
- Dwyane Wade – 2005, 2009, 2010
- LeBron James – 2014
- Hassan Whiteside – 2016
- Bam Adebayo – 2020–2023
- Jimmy Butler – 2021
NBA All-Rookie First Team
- Sherman Douglas – 1990
- Steve Smith – 1992
- Caron Butler – 2003
- Dwyane Wade – 2004
- Michael Beasley – 2009
- Kendrick Nunn – 2020
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. – 2024
NBA All-Rookie Second Team
- Kevin Edwards – 1989
- Glen Rice – 1990
- Willie Burton – 1991
- Udonis Haslem – 2004
- Mario Chalmers – 2009
- Justise Winslow – 2016
- Tyler Herro – 2020
Season-long NBA Community Assist Award
- Dwyane Wade – 2013
NBA All-Star Weekend[]
- Dwyane Wade – 2005–2016, 2019
- Chris Bosh – 2011–2016
- Alonzo Mourning – 1996, 1997, 2000–2002
- LeBron James – 2011–2014
- Shaquille O'Neal – 2005–2007
- Tim Hardaway – 1997, 1998
- Anthony Mason – 2001
- Goran Dragic – 2018
- Jimmy Butler – 2020, 2022
- Bam Adebayo – 2020, 2023, 2024
NBA All-Star Game head coaches
- Stan Van Gundy – 2005
- Erik Spoelstra – 2013, 2022
NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award
- Dwyane Wade – 2010
Skills Challenge champion
- Dwyane Wade – 2006, 2007
- Bam Adebayo – 2020
Three-Point Contest champion
- Glen Rice – 1995
- Jason Kapono – 2007
- Daequan Cook – 2009
- James Jones – 2011
Slam Dunk Contest champion
- Harold Miner – 1993, 1995
- Derrick Jones Jr. – 2020
NBA All-Star Shooting Stars Contest champion
- Chris Bosh – 2013–2015
Coaches and others[]
Coaches[]
- Ron Rothstein (1988–1991)
- Kevin Loughery (1991–1995)
- Alvin Gentry (1995)
- Pat Riley (1995–2003)
- Stan Van Gundy (2003–2005)
- Pat Riley (2005–2008)
- Erik Spoelstra (2008–present)
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:
- Shaquille O'Neal (1st overall selection of the Orlando Magic)
- Alonzo Mourning (2nd overall selection of the Charlotte Hornets)
- Christian Laettner (3rd overall selection of the Minnesota Timberwolves)
- 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.
See also[]
- Knicks-Heat Rivalry
- Celtics-Heat Rivalry
Uniform image gallery[]
Court image gallery[]
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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
