Since its foundation in 1988, the Miami Heat have a long history that includes some of the biggest names to ever play. It’s time to look back at the era that made South Beach a prime destination for basketball players and fans.
The Miami Heat are one of the more storied franchises in the National Basketball Association. A young organization with a rich history, many Hall of Famers and global icons have donned the black and red.
From the likes of Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning to the trio of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James, some of the greatest players to ever grace the hardwood have made ventures to South Florida.
Whether it be by draft, trade, or free agency, Pat Riley has always had a knack for luring in top-tier talent.
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While I doubt he’ll dump a bag full of championship rings onto a table again, his words and presentations have rang true with most of the individuals that have graced the guest chair in his office.
When James and Bosh decided to leave their respective teams to join the Heat in 2010, it was the lure of potential rings and trophies that drove them.
For center Hassan Whiteside, it was the idea of financial security and, of course, the prestigious Miami lifestyle.
Whatever their reasoning may be, South Beach is a very attractive destination for people of all types.
After all, there’s no state income tax, the temperature rarely drops below 60 degrees, and the glistening waters of Biscayne Bay are a sight to behold.
The night life isn’t too shabby, either.
From 10 all the way to one, it’s time to being the countdown.
Honorable Mentions
Caron Butler
Butler came out of the 2002 NBA draft as a lottery pick, taken by the Heat with the 10th overall selection.
He made an immediate impact his rookie season, averaging 15.4 points and 5.1 rebounds while earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.
His production, however, significantly diminished the following year and he was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade effort that acquired superstar center Shaquille O’Neal.
Ultimately, Butler’s time in Miami was too short, but had he not been traded, the Heat probably wouldn’t have three Larry O’Brien trophies in their display case.
Lamar Odom
Much has been made of Odom’s recent battle with addiction, but many forget that at one point, he was one of the most versatile players in the NBA.
In his lone season with the Heat, Odom averaged 17.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 43 percent shooting.
During the 2004 NBA Playoffs, Odom averaged 16.8 points and 8.3 rebound over the span of 13 games.
Had Odom spent more than a single season with the Heat and had he contributed to deeper playoff success, he very well could have found himself on this list.
10. Damon Jones
Stats (2005): 11.6 points, 4.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 43 percent from 3-point range
When it pertains to All Stars and household names, Jones is not among those mentioned.
The 15-year veteran journeyman was unable to find a permanent home during his playing career, and eventually fell out of the league as he approached his mid-late thirties.
That didn’t stop him from making solid contributions, however, and his short stint with the Heat is an example of that.
Jones was always a lethal shooter from distance, and his 3-point percentage in 2005 was among the best in the league that year, hitting an average of three 3-pointers for every six he shot.
He appeared in all 82 games that year and started 66 of them, putting up solid averages while logging 31 minutes per night.
Most will remember Jones for the infamous dunk he took at the hands of LeBron James, and that’s okay.
He wasn’t a star, nor a consistent starter, and despite boasting an above-average career 3-point percentage (39 percent,) he tallied just 941 made over 15 seasons (112th all-time.)
Despite that, Jones was a proven veteran whom was well-respected throughout the league.
He was a key player in helping Miami make the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals, and that alone makes up for any deficiencies on the court.
9. James Posey
Stats (2006-2007): 7.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 39 percent from 3-point range
Posey may come off as a surprise, and I’m sure there are plenty of hands rubbing their eyes at this point.
Originally the 18th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Posey, like Jones, spent time with several teams before venturing to Miami before the 2005-06 season.
Until that point, Posey had experienced a fairly successful career, averaging 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 41 percent from the field.
Never an offensive juggernaut nor Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Posey was a classic ‘swiss army knife’ type of player.
There was not one area in which he excelled, but there also wasn’t any category in which he struggled, either.
That was evident during Miami’s run to the 2006 championship, a stretch when Posey not only knocked down timely shots but threw his body in front of the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, and Richard Hamilton.
He was Miami’s fifth leading scorer during the 2006 NBA Finals, where he knocked down eight of his 20 3-point attempts during those six games.
Much like Shane Battier, Posey’s numbers will never make your eyes pop. He never made an All Star team and never received an All-NBA vote, but his contributions that assisted in the Heat winning their first championship warrant a spot on this list.
8. Jason Williams
Stats (2006-2008): 10.6 points, 4.9 assists, 1.0 steals, 35 percent from 3-point range
Williams is another case of a player whose numbers will not amaze you, but many forget that he once took the NBA by storm.
His brilliant passing and swagger earned him the nickname White Chocolate and he was top five in jersey sales during his rookie season.
Williams was regularly amongst the league leaders in assists and averaged five assists or more in eight of his 13 seasons.
He was arguably one of the most popular players of his generation, and Williams brought that same mindset to a Heat team that desperately needed a spark off the bench, especially during the 2006 NBA Playoffs.
His most memorable moment came in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons.
Leading the series 3-2 coming back home, Miami was looking to claim its first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history.
In 32 minutes of play, Williams recorded 21 points and six assists and at one point, hit 10 consecutive shots from the field. He finished the game shooting a blistering 83 percent, and the Heat would go on to claim its first ever championship.
Williams averaged 8.8 points and 4.7 assists in his only NBA Finals appearance.
Though he was never an All Star and never sniffed an All-NBA team, Williams’s contributions were key in delivering a championship to South Florida, and that alone stands above the rest.
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.
6. Anthony Mason
Stats (2001): 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 48 percent from the field
Mason arrived in Miami during the summer of 2000, brought in by Pat Riley himself.
Originally intended to be a role player on a potential championship contender, Mason was thrust into a starting role once Alonzo Mourning went down for the season with a kidney ailment.
He would respond with perhaps the best year of his career, finishing second on the team in scoring and first in rebounding.
With Mourning and former Duke star Grant Hill unable to participate in the 2001 NBA All Star game, Mason was chosen to represent the Heat in what would turn out to be his lone All Star appearance.
Despite an injury-ravaged season, the Heat would go on to win 50 games and make the 2001 NBA Playoffs, where they would face off against the sixth-seeded Charlotte Hornets in the first round.
Mason infamously struggled during the series, averaging just 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as the Heat were swept in three games. For the series, he attempted just 13 shots and made five of them.
Following a bitter first round exit, Mason was released by Miami later in the offseason.
He would go on to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2001-2002 season and spent two seasons as a backup.
His career would find itself at a crossroads following the 2003 NBA Playoffs, and Mason was waived by the Bucks following more diminished production.
On Feb. 28, 2015, Mason would succumb to a complications from congestive heart failure, and passed away in Manhattan at the age of 48.
He would have been 50 this year, and although he’s no longer with us, Mason’s contributions to a Heat team that had no business claiming a top three seed will forever be remembered.
5. Eddie Jones
Stats (2001-2007): 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 38 percent from 3-point range
Jones was traded along with Anthony Mason to the Heat prior to the 2000-01 season.
Looking to turn his team into a title contender, Riley shipped off Jamal Mashburn and P.J. Brown, but would lose Alonzo Mourning for the season to a rare kidney disease, leaving Jones as the team’s no. 1 option on offense.
In 63 games, Jones put up averages of 17.4 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 45 percent from the field.
Despite leading the team to 50 wins and a third seed in the 2001 NBA Playoffs, the Heat were swept in the first round by the lower-seeded Charlotte Hornets, and not even Mourning’s return in March could stop the onslaught.
The next year, Jones would again prove to be a difference maker on both ends, upping his scoring average to 18.3 points a game while shooting 39 percent from 3-point range. The Heat would fail to make the playoffs, however, and Miami was then forced to deal with an uncertain future.
Jones continued to record solid numbers for the rest of his stint with the Heat, putting up double-digit points in all five seasons with the team. He also maintained the highest efficiency rate from beyond the arc for his career, shooting 38 percent from downtown across that time span.
The Heat would claim the top seed in the East, but Jones was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies following a bitter loss in the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals.
He would return to the Heat midway through the 2006-07 season, where he averaged 9.5 points and 3.7 rebounds across 35 games.
For what it’s worth, Jones spent nearly a decade in a Miami uniform and played a large role in brining the Heat to contention status.
While he’ll likely be remembered for what he did for the Los Angeles Lakers, there is no doubt that Jones was one of five best players Riley brought in during this decade.
4. Udonis Haslem
Stats (2004-2009): 10.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 50 percent from the field
The Miami native made his professional debut during the 2003-04 season after being passed over in the 2003 NBA Draft. Haslem would go on to have one of the more successful careers by an undrafted player in NBA history.
Nicknamed the Captain, Haslem has been the heart and soul of the Heat organization since he left the University of Florida following the 2002 season.
He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 7.3 points and 6.3 rebounds during the 2003-04 season, helping push Miami to what would turn into three consecutive postseason appearances alongside 2003 classmate, Dwyane Wade.
The Heat would go on to make the Conference Finals in 2005 and would eventually claim their first championship in franchise history following the 2006 NBA Finals. For the series, Haslem averaged 6.5 points and 6.2 rebounds, including a 17 point, 10 rebound masterpiece in the title-clinching Game 6.
Haslem would go on to average double-digit points for the next three seasons, developing one of the most deadly midrange jumpers in the NBA.
Although he was a bit undersized for the power forward position, Haslem was famous (or infamous, depending on your perspective) for his physical style of play. He was a stout defender and was able to hold his own against the best big men in the league.
In addition to Haslem’s on-court value, his contributions within the Miami community have made him a pillar in the city’s sporting history. There’s a reason that to this day, fans still chant “U” when he heads towards the scorer’s table.
3. Alonzo Mourning
Stats (2000-2002, 2004-2008): 10.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 54 percent from the field
Let me be very clear: Mourning’s numbers from this decade will not blow anyone’s mind.
Mourning arrived in Miami during the early stages of the 1995 season following a trade from the Charlotte Hornets. Pairing him with the electric Tim Hardaway, the Heat experienced several successful seasons, but ultimately fell short of their championship aspirations.
Enter a new decade and a fresh start.
Mourning never averaged above 15.7 points per game for a season for the remainder of his career, but remained the sole reason the Heat rose to relevance in the late 1990s.
In terms of health, the early 2000s were not kind to Mourning.
Just prior to the 2000-01 season, he was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and was forced to sit for the first five months of the season. He returned in March and appeared in 13 games, but the Heat fell to the Charlotte Hornets in the first round. Mourning appeared in 75 games the following year despite his kidney disease, earning himself a spot in the 2002 NBA All Star Game.
With that being said, Miami would fail to make the playoffs, and Mourning’s health only worsened the following year, where he missed the entire season. His expiring contract was not renewed, and in 2003, Mourning signed with the New Jersey Nets.
A circus then ensued, as Mourning retired from the NBA due to complications from his kidney. He would return for the 2004-05 season, but openly complained to the media that he wanted out of New Jersey.
His request was granted, and on Feb. 11, 2005, Mourning was traded to the Toronto Raptors and subsequently did not report to the team. Following a buyout, Mourning returned to the Heat on a veteran’s minimum salary and would remain there for the rest of his career, helping capture the franchise’s first championship in 2006.
He would officially retire from the NBA on Jan. 22, 2009, leaving behind a legacy that has been enshrined in Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Mourning was the definition of a warrior, and overcame many hardships to get where he is now. That alone is incredibly inspiring.
2. Shaquille O’Neal
Stats (2005-2008): 19.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 60 percent from the field
After O’Neal was shipped to Miami during the 2004 offseason, he famously declared to a capacity crowd outside of American Airlines Arena: “I promise to bring a championship to the city of Miami.”
Needless to say, he delivered on that promise and then some.
In his first year with the Heat, O’Neal appeared as if he hadn’t lost a step. In 73 games, he averaged 22.9 points and 10.4 rebounds while shooting a (then) career-high 60 percent from the floor.
The Heat would end up claiming the East’s top seed and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals against the defending champion Detroit Pistons.
Despite holding home court advantage, the Heat would narrowly fall in seven games after Dwyane Wade was limited due to a shoulder injury.
O’Neal infamously called out former head coach Stan Van Gundy for his play calling following Game 7, ultimately leading to Van Gundy’s resignation the following season.
That August, O’Neal signed a 5-year, $100 million extension with the Heat, praised for his willingness to both take a pay cut and commit to Miami long-term.
He would be rewarded the following June, claiming his fourth championship after the Heat came back from down 0-2 to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in six games. Although O’Neal was Miami’s third-leading scorer during the series, he averaged 10.2 rebounds per game to make up for it.
The following year, O’Neal would miss 35 games after an injury to his left knee required surgery. On top of that, following his return, Wade dislocated his left shoulder and would be gone for the remainder of the season, leaving the 34-year-old center as the sole focus of the team.
Miami would wind up making the playoffs, but were swept by the Chicago Bulls in the first round. It was the first time in 50 years that a defending champion was swept in the opening round, and it would prove to be the final playoff appearance O’Neal would make in a Heat uniform.
He got off to a rough start for the 2007-08 season, putting up career-lows in several categories. Ultimately, O’Neal appeared in just 33 games for the Heat before being traded to the Phoenix Suns.
In three seasons, O’Neal single-handedly changed the Heat culture with his larger-than-life personality. There’s a reason Riley has his no. 32 jersey raised to the rafters, and O’Neal’s emotional reaction told the entire story.
1. Dwyane Wade
Stats (2004-2009): 25.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.0 blocks
Wade entered the league alongside Udonis Haslem in 2003, only the Heat selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. A highly touted, highly skilled shooting guard from Marquette, Wade oozed potential and his magical NCAA Tournament run in 2003 had scouts drooling.
From the outset, it was clear that Wade belonged amongst the world’s best basketball players. He averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists as a rookie, earning NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.
Against the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the 2004 NBA Playoffs, Wade hit the game winning shot in Game 1, leading all scorers with 21 points. The Heat would go on to dispatch the Hornets in seven games before falling to the top seeded Indiana Pacers in the Conference Semifinals.
Wade earned his first All Star appearance the following year when he averaged 24.1 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.2 rebounds. The Heat claimed the East’s best record with 59 wins and advanced to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons.
Despite holding a 3-2 series lead, Wade and the Heat would suffer a gut wrenching loss in Game 7 following Wade’s absence due to a strained rib muscle in Game 6. The next year, he was even better, raising his scoring average by more than three points.
In the 2006 NBA Finals, the Heat appeared overmatched against a red-hot Dallas Mavericks team that stole the first two games in Texas. Down 0-2 and in desperation mode, Wade spurred Miami to a 13-point fourth quarter come back in Game 3, recording 42 points and 13 rebounds.
The Heat would go on to win the next three games behind Wade’s spectacular play, and he ended the series with hellacious averages of 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.7 steals on 47 percent shooting.
Wade would go on to deal with several serious injuries over the next three years, despite brilliant individual play.
In 2009, Wade enjoyed his best statistical season to date. Appearing in 79 games, he mustered up a stat line of 30.2 points, 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks on 49 percent shooting.
Next: Top 10 Heat players since 2010
Most of the time, that would be enough to claim the league’s Most Valuable Player honors, but LeBron James had a different plan in mind. At the conclusion of the decade, Wade and the Heat went through drastic changes to form one of the league’s most infamous trios.
While Wade experienced far more team success in the next decade, his extraordinary individual play from 2004-2010 warrants the top spot on this list.