Miami Heat

Given the Miami Heat’s recent struggles, it’s difficult to believe the team won an NBA championship just two seasons ago. Since then, a shoulder injury to star guard Dwayne Wade and the Shaquille O’Neal trade have helped turn a champion into a lottery team.

The Miami Heat play their home games at the American Airlines Arena. Their head coach is Erik Spoelstra, and their general manager is former head coach (and former NBA player) Pat Riley.

Early Years

The Miami Heat joined the NBA (along with the Charlotte Hornets) in 1988. A ragtag group of rookies and veteran castoffs, they did what new expansion teams do — they lost, to the tune of 17 straight to begin the 1988-89 season.

In their first three seasons, the Heat averaged 19 wins, but their win totals grew steadily each year. In the 1991-92 season, they won 38 games and made the playoffs. The Heat had the misfortune of drawing the Chicago Bulls, and fell to them in a three-game sweep.

The Heat made the playoffs twice more in the next four seasons, but could not get out of the first round, losing to the Atlanta Hawks in 1994 and the Bulls again in 1996. The Heat got to the Eastern Conference finals in 1997, only to lose to the Bulls once again.

The Shaq Acquisition

In 2004, buoyed by the success of 2003 draftee Dwyane Wade, the Heat made a move destined to make or break the team. They traded Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and Caron Butler to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Shaquille O’Neal. The superstar big man was given a huge public welcome, during which he promised to deliver a championship to the city of Miami. (He will probably be remembered as delivering on his promise, but Shaq had more than a little help.)

The Heat responded immediately. They won 59 games in 2004-05 and made it to the conference finals, where they lost to the Detroit Pistons in seven games. Pat Riley, who had resigned his coaching post to concentrate on his GM role, resumed his coaching duties in 2005. It has been speculated that Riley, intrigued with the prospect of coaching O’Neal, engineered the departure of coach Stan Van Gundy and took Van Gundy’s place on the floor.

The Championship Season

The 2005-06 season saw a slight decrease in regular season wins — from 59 to 52 — but the Heat were finally able to get over the hump. After beating the Bulls, the New Jersey Nets, and the Detroit Pistons, respectively, the Heat went to their first-ever NBA Finals, where they met Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks (who were also in their first Finals).

Dallas took the first two games at home and were winning Game 3 in the fourth quarter when Wade took over. The Heat came back to win Game 3 and never lost another game in the series, winning the NBA title, four games to two. Dwyane Wade was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

It was a fourth championship ring for O’Neal, and the first ring for veterans like Alonzo Mourning, Antoine Walker, and Gary Payton.

2007-08 Season

Injuries hit the 2007-08 Heat. Wade had badly injured his left shoulder the season before, and wasn’t back to his dominant self yet. Mourning suffered a season-ending knee injury. Shaq was in and out of the lineup with chronic hip problems. In February of 2008, Shaq was traded to the Phoenix Suns for forward Shawn Marion. The Heat won only 15 games.

2008-09 Outlook

The Heat drafted power forward Michael Beasley and NCAA title game hero Mario Chalmers in 2008, and moved assistant coach Erik Spoelstra up to head coach after Riley decided to return to the front office.

Spoelstra has his work cut out for him, but Wade has returned to form. If he can get a contribution from Beasley, plus some unexpected help, the Heat may begin the long return to playoff contention.

Greatest Players

Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, Glen Rice, Dwayne Wade