Where would the Miami Heat play an outdoor NBA game?

Jun 10, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; General view of downtown Miami as fans arrive for game three between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 10, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; General view of downtown Miami as fans arrive for game three between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports /
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If playing outdoor games in the NBA becomes a thing, the Miami Heat have some options.

With the Boston Celtics reportedly having discussion about setting up an outdoor NBA game at Fenway Park, it got me thinking: Should this become a trend that catches on, where could the Miami Heat play an outdoor game? Here are the early favorites:

The obvi’s

The obvious locations are the two other sports arenas, Marlins Park and Sun Life Stadium. The pros are clear, they are already built for sports, are outdoors and can hold a bunch of people. While AmericanAirlines Arena has a capacity of 19,600, Marlins Park can hold almost 17 thousand more people. Sun Life Stadium holds 76 thousand folks. If anyone is going to sell that place out now, it’s the Heat. And, boy, would 76 thousand Heat fans echoing the Seven Nation Army chant be a bass-laden trip.

However, the con is that both teams that play on those fields–the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins–are trash organizations and can’t do anything right. At the risk of that being contagious, I’m going to pass.

The bad ideas

Zoo Miami – It would be kind of cool to see Hassan Whiteside try to dunk on an opponent and then, all of a sudden, here comes a lion! Lion vs Whiteside, 2016.

Sawgrass Mills Mall – A little far north, but could be nice to help the commute of those closer to Fort Lauderdale. Still, where are they going to play at the mall? The Oasis shopping center is the outdoor portion, and it’s pretty spacious. But not it’s enough room for Goran Dragic to go careening to the rim without falling through the front window of Ron Jon Surf Shop.

The Florida Keys – I don’t know where they would play, but it would be kind of cool to play a chill game of hoops in the Keys. Or during hurricane season. That could be interesting.

Runner up

Dade County Youth Fairgrounds – This place is the size to fit a carnival, so it could easily fit a basketball court. People know where it is, there is parking available (I mean, technically) and, lastly, it’s outdoors. Now that I’m thinking of it, an outdoor game of basketball in Miami would be terrible. The humidity. The possibility of rain. Actually, think again, this might be a perfect situation for the Heat to host LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Yep… that was a cramp joke.

The Winner

The everglades.

Okay, hear me out.

You know how, in college, schools will sometimes play on those Navy aircraft carriers or whatever? Alright, now picture a game of NBA basketball being played on a giant airboat. I’m talking about an airboat the size of a basketball court with enough room on the sides to hold, like, 300-400 fans. The NBA could charge a fortune for those tickets. Plus, there is the added bonus of alligators surrounding the boat for the effect of added urgency.

Who isn’t watching that?