2013 Eastern Conference Champion

Lore & Background

The 2013–2014 season was the Heat's fourth and final season playing with the "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, and ended with a 54–28 record, despite a 43–14 record early in March. It was the lowest record (.659) in the Big Three era (with the exception of the 2011–12 NBA season, which was a shortened season due to a lockout). It was also their sixth season under head coach Erik Spoelstra and Ray Allen's last season in the NBA after 18 years in the league. Although he was a free agent during the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons, and despite rumors of a possible return to the league to play for the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, or Boston Celtics, Allen officially announced his retirement on November 1, 2016, and was one of two remaining active players from the 1996 draft, the other being Kobe Bryant, whom announced his retirement the season prior.

In Their Own Story

The air inside American Airlines Arena hung heavy with the scent of sweat and desperation. It was Game 7 against Indiana, the final hurdle before a third straight title shot. The clock ticked down in the fourth quarter, the score knotted tight. LeBron drove the lane, absorbing contact from Roy Hibbert, and finished through the chaos. As the buzzer sounded, the roar of the crowd erupted, shaking the rafters. Dwyane Wade slumped against the backboard, exhaling a breath he seemed to have held for seven games. They had survived the war in the East; now, only one mountain remained.

Reader's Guide

The Heat swept the Charlotte Bobcats in the first round and defeated the Brooklyn Nets in five games in the conference semifinals. In a rematch of the previous year's Eastern Conference finals, the Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers in six games (ending the Pacers' season for the third year in a row) to become the first team to win four consecutive Eastern Conference championships since the Boston Celtics did so in the 1984–1987 seasons. Miami's quest for a three-peat ended when the San Antonio Spurs, whom they met in a rematch of the 2013 NBA Finals, won the NBA Finals by a 4–1 margin. Following the season, James left the Heat in free agency to rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom he previously played for from 2003 to 2010. This would also be the last time the Heat would appear in the Finals until 2020, wherein they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers (led by former Heat player James) 4 games to 2.

Did You Know?

• LeBron James had a career-high 61 points against the Charlotte Bobcats on March 3, 2014, which was also a franchise-high, breaking Glen Rice's record of 56 points against the Orlando Magic in 1995.
• The Heat completed a sweep over the Charlotte Bobcats in the Eastern Conference first round on April 28, 2014.
• On May 14, 2014, the Heat avenged their regular-season sweep loss over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, by a game-saving steal by LeBron James from Joe Johnson.
• The Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers in game six of the Eastern Conference finals on May 30, 2014, to advance to the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive year.
• Their season ended on June 15, 2014, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals, 104–87. Their loss also marked the first time that the Heat have been eliminated from title contention since