Ranking the best Miami Heat players from 2000-2009
By Cory Sanning
7. Brian Grant
Stats (2001-2004): 11.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 48 percent from the field
Originally the eighth pick in the 1994 NBA Draft, Grant never truly lived up to the billing of a lottery pick.
While he experienced a fairly successful rookie year with the Sacramento Kings, he soon found himself amongst the NBA’s most talented journeyman, making five different stops over the course of 12 seasons.
Make no mistake, Grant was not a slouch by any means.
He signed a 7-year, $86 million deal with the Heat in the summer of 2000 and would go on to spend the next four seasons in South Florida.
Grant is one of two Miami players to record a game with at least 30 points and 20 rebounds and averaged double-digit points in two of his four seasons with the team.
What most remember about Grant was his versatility for an undersized big man. During the 2003-04 season, the 6’9 combo-forward started 76 games at the center position and averaged 8.7 points and 6.9 rebounds a game.
Led by a young core of Lamar Odom, Eddie Jones, and Dwyane Wade, the Heat would face the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the 2004 NBA Playoffs.
Over the course of a thrilling seven game series in which the home team won every time, the Heat would advance to the Conference Semifinals against the top-seeded Indiana Pacers.
For the series, Grant averaged 8.1 points and 9.0 rebounds and led both teams in total rebounds in two of the seven meetings.
Against the Pacers in the second round, the Heat would put up a valiant fight against a team that was clearly superior in terms of talent, taking Indiana to six games.
Grant’s 16 rebounds led all teams in Game 3, but Miami would ultimately succumb in Game 6.
It would be the last time Grant would ever put on a Heat uniform, and even to this day, fans across the state of Florida are still mentioning his name.