2011 Eastern Conference Champion

Lore & Background

Following the 2011 NBA lockout, the Heat played only 66 games, finishing with a 46–20 record. They won their division for the 9th time and appeared in the Eastern Conference Finals for the 5th time. In the playoffs, they defeated the New York Knicks in 5 games in the first round, the Indiana Pacers in 6 games in the conference semifinals, and the Boston Celtics in 7 games in the Eastern Conference Finals. They then defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 4–1 in the NBA Finals to win the franchise's second championship.

In Their Own Story

Game 7 against Boston hung in the balance, the score tied in the final minutes. LeBron James drove into the paint, absorbing contact from Kendrick Perkins, and kicked it out to Dwyane Wade. The veteran guard rose up over Ray Allen, the ball hanging in the amber arena lights for a heartbeat before swishing through the net. The roar that followed wasn't just relief; it was the sound of a new era claiming its throne in the East.

Reader's Guide

The Heat's original starting lineup was C Joel Anthony, PF Chris Bosh, SF LeBron James, SG Dwyane Wade, PG Mario Chalmers. The starting lineup went through many changes as the season went on. The finals lineup in the NBA Finals is listed above.

Did You Know?

• The Heat became the fourth team under the 2-3-2 format to win the middle three games at home, the others being their 2006 team, the 2004 Detroit Pistons, and the 2013 Miami Heat.
• LeBron James won an NBA championship for the first time in his career, and was awarded the 2012 NBA Finals MVP.
• The 2011-12 Miami Heat became the second team in NBA history to win a championship despite trailing three separate times in a postseason series (2–1 in the conference semifinals, 3–2 in the conference finals, and 0–1 in