Miami Heat

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Lore & Background

The franchise began play in the 1988–89 season as an expansion team. After a period of mediocrity, the Heat gained relevance in the mid-1990s when Pat Riley became team president and head coach. Riley constructed the trades for Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway, which propelled the team into playoff contention. Mourning and Hardaway led the Heat to four consecutive division titles prior to their departures in 2001 and 2002, respectively. The team also experienced success after drafting Dwyane Wade in 2003. Led by Wade, following a trade for Shaquille O'Neal, the Heat won their first NBA title in 2006. In 2010, the Heat formed a superteam through the signing of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, creating the 'Big Three' along with Wade. During their four years together, Spoelstra, James, Wade, and Bosh led the Heat to the NBA Finals in every season, culminating in back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. All three departed by 2016, and the team entered a period of rebuilding. The Heat achieved relative success again after acquiring Jimmy Butler in 2019. With the emergence of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, the Heat reached the 2020 and 2023 NBA Finals before ultimately trading Butler in early 2025.

In Their Own Story

The physical battles continued in 1998 during a first-round rematch where New York entered as the seventh seed due to Ewing's broken wrist. After trading wins in the first two games, Game 4 ended with a fight between Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson; Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy famously grabbed Mourning's legs trying to break it up, leading to suspensions for both players. Without Mourning, Miami fought back from a 20-point halftime deficit in Game 5 but lost when Charlie Ward hit a three-pointer, followed by an Allan Houston jump shot and free throw, and a Charles Oakley layup that sent him into the stands, resulting in flagrant fouls and free throws for New York. The Knicks won the series 98–81. In 1999, the #8-seeded Knicks stunned Miami in a defensive slugfest. Trailing 76–77 with 4.5 seconds left in Game 5, Allan Houston hit a running one-hander that bounced off the front rim and backboard to win it 78–77. This propelled New York to their second Eastern Conference title in five years as they became the first eighth seed to reach the NBA Finals.

Reader's Guide

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

Did You Know?

• The Heat's 27-game winning streak in 2012–13 is the third-longest in NBA history.
• Seven Hall of Famers have played for the Miami Heat.
• LeBron James won two consecutive NBA MVP Awards while playing for the Heat.