Miami Heat

Miami Heat
2013–14 Miami Heat season
Nickname	The Heat
Conference	Eastern
Division	Southeast
Founded	1988
History	Miami Heat 1988–Present
Arena	American Airlines Arena
Location	Miami, Florida
Team colors	Black, Red, White, Gold
Head coach	Erik Spoelstra
Ownership	Micky Arison
Championships	3 (2006, 2012, 2013)
Conference titles	4 (2006, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Division titles	10 (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Retired numbers	3 (10, 23, 33)
Home Away Third

The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They play their home games at the American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami. The team owner is Micky Arison, who also owns cruise-ship giant Carnival Corporation. The team president and de facto general manager is Pat Riley, and the head coach is Erik Spoelstra. The mascot of the team is Burnie, an anthropomorphic fireball.

Formed in 1988 as one of the NBA's four expansion franchises, the Heat have won three league championships (in 2006, 2012, and 2013), four conference titles and 10 division titles. From February 3 to March 27, 2013, the Heat won 27 games in a row, the second-longest streak in NBA history (after the Los Angeles Lakers' 33 wins).

In 2013, Forbes valued the Heat at $625 million, sixth-most-valuable among NBA franchises.

The Heat is not related to the Miami Floridians, an ABA team in the early 1970s, although the Heat has 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.

Franchise history

Main article: History of the Miami Heat

Further information: Miami Heat accomplishments and records

An expansion team formed in 1988, the Miami Heat began its early years with much mediocrity, only making the playoffs 2 times in its first eight years and falling in the first round both times. Upon the purchasing of the franchise by Micky Arison in 1995, Pat Riley was brought in as the team president and head coach. Riley acquired center Alonzo Mourning and point guard Tim Hardaway to serve as the centerpiece for the team, transforming Miami into a championship contender throughout the late 1990s. With them they also brought in a new team trainer to work on shootingCody Posselt. The Heat underwent a dramatic turnaround in the 1996-1997 season, improving to a 61-21 record, second best in team history and formerly a franchise record. That same year, Miami earned the moniker of "Road Warriors" for its remarkable 32-9 record on the road. On the backs of Hardaway and Mourning, the Heat achieved its first two victories in the playoffs, making it to the Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls before bowing out in five games. Its biggest rivals of the time were the New York Knicks, Riley's former team, who would eliminate the Heat in the playoffs from 1998 through 2000. A period of mediocrity followed shortly thereafter, highlighted by missing the playoffs altogether in 2002 and 2003.

In the 2003 NBA Draft, with the fifth overall pick, Miami selected shooting guard Dwyane Wade out of Marquette. Free-agent swing-man Lamar Odom was signed from the Los Angeles Clippers. Just prior to the start of the 03-04 season, Riley stepped down as head coach to focus on rebuilding the Heat, promoting Stan Van Gundy to the position of head coach. Behind Van Gundy's leadership, Wade's stellar rookie year and Odom's break out season, the Heat made the 2004 NBA Playoffs, beating the New Orleans Hornets 4-3 in the 1st round and losing to the Indiana Pacers 4-2 in the 2nd round. In the offseason, Riley engineered a summer blockbuster trade for Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers. Alonzo Mourning returned to the Heat in the same season, serving as a backup to O'Neal. Returning as championship contenders, Miami finished with a 59–23 record, consequently garnering the first overall seed in the Eastern Conference. Sweeping through the first round and the semifinals, Miami went back to the Conference Finals for the first time in eight years, where it met the defending champion Detroit Pistons. Despite taking a 3-2 lead, Miami lost Wade to injury for Game 6. It would go on to lose Game 7 at home despite Wade's return.

In the summer of 2005, Riley brought in veteran free agents Gary Payton, Antoine Walker and Jason Williams. After a sub-par 11-10 start to the 05-06 season, Riley relieved Van Gundy of his duties and took back the head coaching job. The Heat made it to the Conference Finals in 2006 and avenged its loss against the Pistons, winning the series 4-2. Making its first NBA Finals appearance, they matched up against the Dallas Mavericks, who won the first two games in Dallas in routs. On the back of Dwyane Wade, the Heat won the next four games, capturing its first ever championship. Wade took the Finals MVP award for his efforts throughout the finals. A four-year tenure of post-title struggles befell the Heat from 2007 through 2010, including a 4-0 sweep by the Chicago Bulls in the 1st round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. In the 07-08 season, Wade was plagued by injuries, prompting Miami to hit rock bottom with 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 and re-invigorated Wade led the Heat to 43 wins in 2009 and 47 wins 2010, making the playoffs in both years, though they would lose 4-3 in 2009 and 4-1 in 2010. Wade was the scoring champion in 2009 and the NBA All-Star MVP in 2010.

Entering the 2010–2011 season with nearly $48 million in salary cap space, the Heat caused a major power shift during the blockbuster 2010 NBA Free Agency, adding Chris Bosh and LeBron James to local superstar Dwyane Wade, starting the "Big 3" era. However, the Heat got off to a 9–8 start. After a "players only" meeting, the team pulled together. 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, Boston Celtics in the Conference Semifinals, and 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 collapsed, as they would lose the final three games to the Mavericks. After the second NBA Lockout ended, the Heat would improve their roster by signing veteran Shane Battier. In the shortened 2011–12 season, the Heat got off to a 27–7 start. 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, weren't 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 Dwyane 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 overcame adversity and defeated the Pacers in the next three games, with James and Wade often combining for an average of 70 points to close out the Pacers. They met the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, taking the first two games, before losing the next three, including one home loss where Bosh returned from the injury. However, on June 7, they took a big road win at Boston beating the Celtics 98–79 to tie the series 3–3; James had a remarkable 45 points and 15 rebounds. The deciding Game 7 was at Miami; although the Celtics largely dominated during the first half, the second half saw several lead changes as both teams went back and forth. The Heat eventually won 101–88, reaching the NBA Finals for the second straight year. 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 deal and Rashard Lewis to a two-year deal. The Heat would go on a 27 game winning streak, between February 3, 2013 and March 27, 2013 Defeating Orlando at the season finale set the franchise record for 66 wins in a season. By the end of the season, the Heat won 18 of last 19 road Gs, the best streak on the road to end a season in the history of the NBA. The Heat went 17-1 in March, becoming the first team to win 17 games in a single calendar month in NBA history. With a win in Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers, 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 squad by himself at one point, and put his team back into position to win. The Heat went on to defeat the Spurs 95-88 in Game 7 behind a 37 point and 12 rebound performance from James and a 23 point and 10 rebound effort from Wade. Shane Battier also went off for 18 points behind 6-8 shooting from the 3-point line after having a horrible shooting slump the entire post-season up to that point. The Heat captured the NBA title once again for a second year in a row, becoming the first team in the Eastern Conference to repeat as league champions since the late 1990s Chicago Bulls. The series is widely considered as a classic. 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 Finals MVP and league MVP back-to-back along with Jordan. Overall, the Miami Heat 2012–2013 season is considered one of the most historic runs in NBA history.

Logos

• 
  1999-present current logo
• 1999-present alternate logo
  1999-present alternate logo
• 1999-present alternate logo
  1999-present alternate logo

Jerseys

1988–1999 Away

1999–present Home

1999–present Away

2001–present Alternate

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 NBA season the Heat introduced a red alternate uniform with lettering and numbers in black, white and orange trim. 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 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 NBA season, and features the city name and numbers in white with black trim. They were also the only team in the NBA to have the NBA logo on the right shoulder instead of the left, until the introduction of the Adidas Revolution 30 uniforms in 2010 which regulated all teams to have the NBA logo on the left shoulder. In the 2009–10 season, the red alternates were tweaked to include the "MH" secondary logo on the left leg; the 'MH' was also added on the beltline for the away and home uniforms, the 'flaming ball' logo was also moved to the left leg. For the 2012–13 season, the city name (Miami) replaced the team name on the black away uniforms. Similar to the Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls and the Orlando Magic, the Heat had a dress code that prohibits players from wearing headbands on the court. Since then, however, the Heat have allowed the use of headbands, beginning with Jermaine O'Neal in 2009 and continued with the additions of LeBron James, Eddie House, Erick Dampier and Mike Bibby.

Since the 2008 season, the Heat participated in the NBA's Noche Latina promotions, or Latin Nights. In commemorating the occasion, they use their black away uniforms, but with the wordmark "El Heat".

In the 2011–12 season, the Heat wore an all-black alternate home jersey in selected home games of the 2011–12 season (against higher ranked teams like the Bulls, Thunder, Knicks, Mavericks, Lakers etc.). The uniform is similar to their future away uniforms, but with lettering and logos traced in white.

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.

The Heat unveiled a new all white home alternate uniform in the 2012–13 season. The uniform is similar to their current home uniform, but with the lettering and logos only traced in black. This was to pay tribute to their 'White Hot' promotion during their two championship runs. They began wearing the alternates on November 24, and will wear them every Saturday home game thereafter, except for the December 6 game against the Knicks, the February 10 game against the Lakers, and the March 1, 2004 game against the Grizzlies, all of which were televised nationally. They were also worn on March 25 in a road game against the Magic. The Heat also wore the 'White Hot' jerseys at home during the first two games of the 2013 NBA Playoffs.

An all-red uniform, known as 'Big Color', was worn on Christmas Day against the Thunder, a rematch of the 2012 Finals. The uniform is entirely red, with the lettering and logos traced in white. A similar uniform, albeit with additional white piping and white lettering on the player's name, was used during the 2013–14 season.

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.

Rivalries

New York Knicks

Main article: Heat–Knicks rivalry

The rivalry between the New York Knicks and the expansion Miami Heat was a result of their history-making brutally physical four consecutive playoff series from 1997 to 2000. Each series went to the maximum number of 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, 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. The first two years were marked by physical violence during the series, with suspensions to players that ultimately determined the outcome. Some of the rivals' most memorable moments came when Jeff Van Gundy latched onto Mourning's leg during an altercation; when Charlie Ward collided with P.J. Brown, who flipped Ward over his head and body-slammed him; when Pat Riley leaned against the wall in defeat after Mourning was ejected in a fight with Larry Johnson; when Tim Hardaway vanquished the Knicks in 1997 after Mourning sat with his fifth foul; and when Latrell Sprewell taunted the fans after Allan Houston's game winning shot in 1999. In 1997, the Heat became one of the (as of now) eight teams to win a series after trailing 3-1, while the Knicks of 1999 became the second eighth seed to upset the 1st seed in league history.

In recent years, the rivalry has reignited with the Heat signing LeBron James (after some speculation that he would join the Knicks) and Chris Bosh while the Knicks signed Amar'e Stoudemire and traded for Carmelo Anthony. They met in the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, which was won by the Heat in five games.

Chicago Bulls

Main article: Bulls–Heat rivalry

The rivalry with the Chicago Bulls began once the Miami Heat became contenders during the 1990s, a decade dominated by the Bulls, and the advent of the Michael Jordan era. 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 Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Richard "Rip" 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 Miami 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 LeBron James early in the second quarter. Norris Cole had his jersey ripped by Taj Gibson while driving to the basket for a layup. Joakim Noah was seen applauding and cheering on the image of Chris 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. Taj Gibson and Noah were both ejected in the same game for yelling at the refs.

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 Boston Celtics can be found as far back as his days with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where the Celtics upset the Cavaliers in 2008 and 2010. 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, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. After dropping the first three games versus the Celtics in the regular season, Miami prevailed in their fourth encounter, taking the 2nd 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 Paul Pierce was ejected in Game 1, Dwyane Wade inadvertently broke Rajon Rondo's arm in Game 3 and James scored the final ten 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, 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' 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 the NBA Finals.

In the offseason, the Celtics' Big 3 was broken up following Ray Allen's joining of the Heat. When asked about their immediate reactions to their teammate leaving for their rival, Kevin Garnett claimed that he deleted Allen's phone number, while Paul 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 clothes-lining Wade's neck, Garnett snubbing a handshake from Allen pre-game, and Garnett throwing an elbow at Mario Chalmers. During Miami's 2013 Streak, Paul 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. Pat Riley, the Heat team president, retorted that "Danny should shut the fuck 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".

Indiana Pacers

A recent rivalry was triggered with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Although the two previously met in the 2004 NBA Playoffs (where Indiana won 4-2), the only two players still left from either teams are Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem of the Heat. 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 brief 2-1 lead after Miami's Chris Bosh was sidelined with an abdominal strain. Powered by an impeccable tag-team from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, Miami would cap off 3 straight to take the series 4-2. This series was marked by several confrontations, suspensions and flagrant fouls between the players: Tyler Hansbrough's flagrant foul on Dwyane 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 LeBron James' jersey in Game 3 while trying to stop a fast-break, and chest-bumped Dwyane 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. During the waning minutes of Game 6 in the Semifinals between the Pacers and the 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 the 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 intentional dirty play on the part of Battier. Chris Andersen suffered a bloodied nose after colliding with David West. Ian Mahinmi received a retroactive flagrant foul for a grab of LeBron James' arm. Norris Cole latched a hand on David West's groin area as he tried to slip through West. Dwyane 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. Ray Allen's single turnover was the least ever suffered by the Heat in a first half. Their five total turnovers is tied for the least in franchise history. Incidentally, the Game 3 victory marks the first time ever that an NBA team won five straight road games by double digits. The Heat would go on to win the series 4-3, with a 99-76 win in game 7.

Season-by-season records

Main article: List of Miami Heat seasons

Home arenas

Start	End	Arena
November 5, 1988	December 28, 1999	Miami Arena
January 2, 2000	—	American Airlines Arena

Radio and television

Main article: List of Miami Heat broadcasters

The Heat's flagship radio stations are WAXY (790 AM) in English, with Mike Inglis and John Crotty calling games, and WQBA (1140 AM) in Spanish, with Jose Paneda and Joe Pujala on the call.

The Heat games are televised primarily by Sun Sports with Eric Reid and Tony Fiorentino. Reid has been part of the Heat's broadcasting team since the beginning of the franchise, first serving as a color analyst, and later becoming the lead play-by-play voice starting in the 1991–92 season. For the first four years of the franchise, there were radio-television simulcasts of locally-broadcast games before the franchise eventually created separate broadcast teams.

WBFS-TV (channel 33) was the original over-the-air flagship station for Heat games, with its first stint concluding at the end of the 1998–99 season, after eleven seasons. WAMI-TV (channel 69) took over the following season; however, WBFS (along with now-sister station WFOR channel 4) returned as the Heat's primary over-the-air home in 2000–01, this time lasting until the 2003–04 season. On the cable side, Heat games were televised on then-SportsChannel Florida (now Fox Sports Florida), before moving to then-Sunshine Network (now Sun Sports) starting in the 1992–93 season. Since 2004–05, Sun Sports have served as the exclusive regional carrier of Heat games throughout the team's designated broadcast territory, which includes the metropolitan areas of Miami–Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach–Fort Pierce–Port St. Lucie, and Fort Myers–Naples.

On a national scale, games are occasionally televised by TNT, ESPN, or ABC.

From 1988–1993, the Heat were on WQAM. WINZ previously aired games from 1993–1996 and WIOD did from 1996–2008.

Players

For the complete list of Miami Heat players see: Miami Heat all-time roster.

For the players drafted by the Miami Heat, see: Miami Heat draft history.

Current roster

Miami Heat roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB 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 16 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 0 Richardson, Josh 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 C 7 Ware, Kel'el 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 2004-04-20 Indiana

Head coach Erik Spoelstra Assistant coach(es) Malik Allen Caron Butler Octavio De La Grana Wayne Ellington Eric Glass Chris Quinn Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate (TW) Two-way affiliate player Injured Roster Last transaction: October 19, 2024

Roy Rosima

Retired numbers

The Heat have retired three numbers, although only two 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 Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). However, the No. 13 jersey is not retired and is still available for use by the Heat players.

Miami Heat retired numbers
N°	Player	Position	Tenure	N° Retirement
10	Tim Hardaway	G	1996-2001	October 28, 2009
33	Alonzo Mourning	C	1995–2002, 2005–2008	March 30, 2009.

Notable former players

• Alonzo Mourning was a center, traded to Miami from the Charlotte Hornets in 1995. He played until 2001, but returned in 2004 and remained until 2008. As the co-captain along with Hardaway, Mourning averaged a double-double with the Heat, and was noted for his intimidating shot-blocking. A 5 time All Star and 2 time Defensive Player of The Year (1999 and 2000), Mourning finished second in MVP voting in 1999, behind Karl Malone. Mourning is the all-time franchise leader in rebounds (4807) and blocks (1625). His 9459 points were the most in franchise history until Dwyane Wade passed him on March 14, 2009. His jersey No. 33 was retired at American Airlines Arena on March 30, 2009, and he currently works for the team as VP for Community Relations.
• Tim Hardaway was a point guard, traded from the Golden State Warriors to Miami in 1996 and played until 2001. Famous for his crossover dribble, Hardaway was once the all-time leader in assists for the Heat with 1,947, until his total was surpassed by Dwyane Wade on January 16, 2010. As a co-captain along with Mourning, Hardaway led the Heat to some of the franchise's best seasons, including four straight division titles and an appearance in the Conference Finals. His game-winner against the Orlando Magic in the 1997 playoffs earned the first ever playoff series win for the Heat. He remains their all-time leader in three-point field goals (806). His jersey No. 10 was retired at American Airlines Arena on October 28, 2009.
• Rony Seikaly was a center, selected ninth as the franchise's first ever draft pick. He set numerous first records for the Heat. Named Most Improved Player in 1990, the Heat's first ever NBA individual or team award. Played from 1988 through 1994; was traded to the Golden State Warriors.
• Glen Rice was a forward, selected 4th overall by Miami in 1989 and playing until 1995. After averaging 13.6 points per game in his rookie season, Rice consistently averaged over 20 points per game for his remaining five seasons in Miami. He once scored 56 points in a regular season game versus the Orlando Magic, which remains a franchise record.
• Grant Long was a forward, selected 33rd overall by the Heat in their first draft. Played from 1988 through 1994. Known for aggressive defense and strong rebounding.
• Steve Smith was a shooting guard, selected 5th overall in 1991, and played for Miami until 1994. Consistently averaged double-digit points per game, even up to 20.5 in his final season. The disastrous trade that sent Smith (and Grant Long ) to Atlanta for a rapidly declining Kevin Willis proved to be a turning point for the franchise, as it was one of the key events leading to the organization's hiring of Pat Riley.
• Shaquille O'Neal was acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004, playing until 2008. O'Neal was a key figure in the Heat's consecutive runs to the Conference Finals in 2005 and 2006 and a championship in the 2006 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.
• Eddie Jones was a guard-forward, acquired from the Charlotte Hornets in 2000 and played for Miami until 2005, with a second stint in 2007. The South Florida native was a three-time NBA All-Star and routinely defended the opposition's best perimeter player while a member of the Heat.
• Brian Grant was a forward-center, acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in 2000, and played for Miami until 2004, when he was a part of the trade that brought Shaquille O'Neal to the Heat. His time with the Heat was defined by his solid defensive play, especially in the absence of Alonzo Mourning, and his leadership both on and off the court.
• Lamar Odom was acquired before the 2003-04 season from the Los Angeles Clippers when Miami made him a restricted free-agent offer that the Clippers didn't match (they did match a massive Heat offer sheet at the same time to Elton Brand). Odom turned out his underachieving career with an outstanding season as the Heat returned to the playoffs, and the team had plans for Odom and Dwyane Wade as centerpieces of their return to championship contention. However, when Shaq became available as the Lakers decided to move on without him, Miami rejected their request to include Wade in a trade package; the Heat reluctantly offered Odom as the center of the deal, and he and Shaq traded places. Odom considered returning to Miami when he became an unrestricted free-agent after the 2008-09 season but re-signed with the defending champion Lakers.
• Caron Butler was a lottery pick after the Heat's subpar 2001-02 season. Butler made the All-Rookie team and while he slumped in 2003-04 due to injuries, he would have remained a key part of Miami's plans if not for the Shaq deal (similar to Lamar Odom).
• Jason Williams was a key player in Miami's championship run in 2006 with a great performance in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Detroit Pistons (21 points on 10 of 12 FGs). One of the flashiest point guards in the history of the NBA.
• Dan Majerle was a shooting guard and a small forward, traded to Miami from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1996, playing until 2001. Made a career out of his perimeter sharpshooting, defensive mindset and accuracy with three-pointers, but was noted for remarkable ball-handling and passing skills. Was an All-Star in 1995. Began his stint as a sixth man, but quickly made his way into the starting lineup.
• James Posey was part of the 5-team, 13-player deal that remade the Heat before the 2005-06 season. Posey was a solid role player who became one of the Heat's best assets as they ran towards the 2006 title. Posey would later prove a similarly beloved and clutch asset on another title team, the 2008 Boston Celtics.
• Antoine Walker joined the 2005-06 team and was viewed warily due to his checkered time in Boston, mainly his defensive issues and obsession with shooting three-pointers. However, Walker was a terrific role player on the 2006 championship team and shone with a 14-point, 11-rebound gem of a Game 6 when Miami won their first title in Dallas. Walker would return in 2007 but after that season ended disappointingly, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
• Jamal Mashburn was a small forward, traded to Miami from the Dallas Mavericks in 1997 and played until 2000. As an athletic, high-scoring swingman, Mashburn was a skilled ball-handler, an aggressive defender and a sharpshooting threat, especially from the three-point line.
• Voshon Lenard left the minor-league Continental Basketball Association to sign with the Heat in 1995. Emerged as a three-point shooting threat and a determined defender. Averaged 12.3, 12.6 and 11.9 points per game in his second, third and fifth seasons with Miami. Most memorable for double-punting the game-winning field goal on December 10, 1996, at the Cleveland Cavaliers.
• PJ Brown was a forward-center traded to Miami from the New Jersey Nets in 1996 and played until 2000. Starting off as something of an enigma to the Heat, Brown quickly proved to be one of their more athletic players, and gained a reputation for his focus on rebounding, blocking shots and hustling for loose balls. Famous for lifting Charlie Ward over his shoulder after the Knick rammed himself onto his hip after a Miami free throw.
• Gary Payton was nearing the end of his eventual Hall of Fame career, having had a phenomenally good career with the Seattle SuperSonics before having disappointing years on teams where he sought to win an elusive championship ring (notably the 2004 Los Angeles Lakers and 2005 Boston Celtics). Payton became a solid role player on the 2006 Heat and made two unforgettable clutch shots to seal victories in Games 3 and 5 of the 2006 Finals.
• Harold Miner was a shooting guard and a small forward, selected 12th overall by Miami in 1992 and playing until 1996. Despite a largely lackluster career, Miner was famed for his dunking prowess; he remains the only Heat player to win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, which he did twice, in 1993 and 1995.

Basketball Hall of Famers

Miami Heat Hall of Famers
Player	Position	Tenure	Elected

Head coaches

See also: List of Miami Heat head coaches

There have been six head coaches for the Miami Heat. Ron Rothstein was the franchise's first head coach, serving from 1988 through 1991; he remains as assistant coach. Kevin Loughery was his successor from 1991 to 1995, guiding the Heat to their first two playoff berths in 1992 and 1994. Loughery was fired 46 games into the 1994-1995 season, posting a 17-29 record. Alvin Gentry, an assistant coach who joined in 1991, was brought in to replace Loughery on an interim basis. Miami went 15-21 for the final 36 games, and Gentry moved to the Detroit Pistons the following season.

In the summer of 1995, owner Micky Arison hired Pat Riley as the head coach and team president. At eleven years, Riley is the longest tenured head coach in the franchise's history, as well its all-time leader in total wins and games coached. Upon suffering a 25-57 record in the 2002-2003 season, Riley abruptly announced his retirement, but remained as team president. He elevated assistant coach Stan Van Gundy as his replacement. Van Gundy is Miami's all-time leader for the highest winning percentage in the regular season (.605), having led Miami to a 42-40 record in his first season and a 59-23 record in his second year. He spearheaded Miami's 2005 campaign, where they held the top seed in the east, swept their first two playoff opponents and made it to the Conference Finals.

An 11-10 record early into the 2005-2006 season prompted Riley to come out of retirement and replace Van Gundy. Shortly thereafter, Riley would win his fifth and final championship as a head coach, as well as Miami's first championship in 2006. Riley would retire permanently following the 15-win 2007-2008 season, but once again remained as team president. His hand-picked replacement, longtime assistant Erik Spoelstra, is the current Heat head coach, a position he's held since 2008. At 38, he was the youngest head coach in the league at the time, as well as the first Filipino-American head coach in league history. Throughout his brief tenure, Spoelstra has not missed the playoffs, even taking the team to three consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals, culminating in back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013.

Franchise accomplishments and awards

Franchise leaders

Career Leaders

Category	Player	Statistics
Games Played	Dwyane Wade	682
Points	Dwyane Wade	16,772
Rebounds	Udonis Haslem	5,127
Assists	Dwyane Wade	4030
Steals	Dwyane Wade	1,179
Blocks	Alonzo Mourning	1,625
Field Goals	Dwyane Wade	5,841
Field Goal Percentage	Shaquille O'Neal	59.6%
3-Pt Field Goals	Tim Hardaway	806
3-Pt Field Goal Percentage	Jason Kapono	49.0%
Free Throws	Dwyane Wade	4376
Free Throw Percentage	Jason Williams	88.3%
Points Per Game	Dwyane Wade	24.8
Rebounds Per Game	Rony Seikaly	10.4
Assists Per Game	Sherman Douglas	7.9
Steals Per Game	Dwyane Wade	1.8
Blocks Per Game	Alonzo Mourning	2.7
Triple Doubles	LeBron James	10 (three in playoffs)
Personal Fouls	Alonzo Mourning	1,960
Turnovers	Dwyane Wade	2,300

Season Leaders

Category	Player	Statistics	Season
Minutes Played	Anthony Mason	3254	2000–2001
Points Per Game	Dwyane Wade	30.2	2008–2009
Rebounds Per Game	Rony Seikaly	11.8	1991–1992
Assists Per Game	Tim Hardaway	8.6	1996–1997
Steals Per Game	Dwyane Wade	2.2	2008–2009
Blocks Per Game	Alonzo Mourning	3.9	1998–1999
Triple Doubles	LeBron James	4	2010–2011
Points	Dwyane Wade	2386	2008–2009
Rebounds	Rony Seikaly	934	1991–1992
Assists	Tim Hardaway	695	1996–1997
Steals	Dwyane Wade	173	2008–2009
Blocks	Alonzo Mourning	294	1999–2000
Field Goals	Dwyane Wade	854	2008–2009
Field Goal Percentage	Shaquille O'Neal	60.1%	2004–2005
3-Pt Field Goals	Damon Jones	225	2004–2005
3-Pt Field Goal Percentage	Jon Sundvold	52.2%	1988–1989
Free Throws	Dwyane Wade	629	2005–2006
Free Throw Percentage	Glen Rice	88.0%	1993–1994
Personal Fouls	Grant Long	337	1988–1989
Turnovers	Dwyane Wade	321	2004–2005

All numbers as of June 28, 2012

Single Game Records (Regular Season)

Category	Player	Statistics	Date
Points	Glen Rice	56	April 15, 1995
Minutes Played	Glen Rice	59	November 20, 1992
Rebounds	Rony Seikaly	34	March 3, 1993
Assists	Tim Hardaway	19	April 19, 1996
Steals	Mario Chalmers	9	November 5, 2008
Blocks	Alonzo Mourning	9	November 28, 2005
Field Goals Made	Glen Rice	20	April 15, 1995
3-Pt Field Goals	Brian Shaw Mario Chalmers	10 10	April 8, 1993 January 12, 2013
Free Throws	Dwyane Wade	23	February 1, 2007
Turnovers	Dwyane Wade	12	February 1, 2007

Single Game Records (Playoffs)

Category	Player	Statistics	Date
Points	Dwyane Wade	46	April 25, 2010
Minutes Played	LeBron James	50:17	May 9, 2011
Rebounds	Shaquille O'Neal	20	May 4, 2006
Assists	Dwyane Wade	15	May 10, 2005
Steals	LeBron James	6	May 15, 2012
Blocks	Alonzo Mourning	9	April 22, 2000
Field Goals Made	LeBron James	19	June 7, 2012
3-Pt Field Goals	Mike Miller	7	June 21, 2012
Free Throws	Dwyane Wade	21	June 18, 2006
Turnovers	Dwyane Wade	9	May 26, 2011

Individual awards

NBA Most Valuable Player

• LeBron James – 2012-2013

NBA Finals MVP

• Dwyane Wade – 2006
• LeBron James – 2012-2013

NBA All-Star Game MVP

• Dwyane Wade – 2010

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

Best NBA Player ESPY Award

• Dwyane Wade – 2006
• LeBron James - 2012

NBA Coach of the Year

• Pat Riley – 1997

NBA Executive of the Year

• Pat Riley – 2011

J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award

• P. J. Brown – 1997
• Alonzo Mourning – 2002

All-NBA First Team

• Tim Hardaway – 1997
• Alonzo Mourning – 1999
• Shaquille O'Neal – 2005-2006
• Dwyane Wade – 2009-2010
• LeBron James – 2011-2013

All-NBA Second Team

• Tim Hardaway – 1998-1999
• Alonzo Mourning – 2000
• Dwyane Wade – 2005-2006, 2011

All-NBA Third Team

• Dwyane Wade – 2007, 2012-2013

NBA All-Defensive First Team

• Alonzo Mourning – 1999-2000
• LeBron James – 2011-2013

NBA All-Defensive Second Team

• P.J. Brown – 1997, 1999
• Bruce Bowen – 2001
• Dwyane Wade – 2005, 2009-2010

NBA All-Rookie First Team

• Sherman Douglas – 1990
• Steve Smith – 1992
• Caron Butler – 2003
• Dwyane Wade – 2004
• Michael Beasley – 2009

NBA All-Rookie Second Team

• Kevin Edwards – 1989
• Glen Rice – 1990
• Willie Burton – 1991
• Udonis Haslem – 2004
• Mario Chalmers – 2009

NBA All-Star Skills Challenge Champion

• Dwyane Wade – 2006-2007

NBA All-Star Three-point Shootout Champion

• Glen Rice – 1995
• Jason Kapono – 2007
• Daequan Cook – 2009
• James Jones – 2011

NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest Champion

• Harold Miner – 1993, 1995

NBA All-Star Shooting Stars Contest Champion

• Chris Bosh – 2013

Season-long NBA Community Assist Award

• Dwyane Wade – 2013

NBA All-Star selections

• Dwyane Wade – 2005-2013
• Alonzo Mourning – 1996-1997, 2000-2002
• Shaquille O'Neal – 2005-2007
• LeBron James –2011-2013
• Chris Bosh – 2011-2013
• Tim Hardaway – 1997-1998
• Anthony Mason – 2001
• Stan Van Gundy – 2005 (As coach.)
• Erik Spoelstra – 2013 (As coach.)

External links

• Official website