A new era of Miami Heat Basketball is now beginning

Despite the quiet offseason, it seems like a completely new era of Miami Heat Basketball is about to begin.

It seems like ever since The Big Three moved on, the Miami Heat have been looking for a new identity.

But the search is now over.

2018-19 Miami Heat Basketball is marking the start of a new era in South Florida. One that is defined by an underdog mindset.

This group lives and breathes the game, soaking up knowledge every possible chance they get, constantly striving to not just be better, but to become the best. For them, settling isn’t an option, which means neither is giving up; every failure is a lesson learned.

“No fake gym rats” has become the motto, so even though everyone may not know it just yet, president Pat Riley‘s dream of his team being the nastiest, hardest working and most disliked, has come true.

Not everyone is built for The Culture, so those left standing are a breed of their own.

They’ve not only fully bought into the system, but are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed in it.

This roster is made up of players who didn’t get to where they are now by following any sort of traditional path. They were overlooked and rejected, made to question their own worth.

But now, this band of misfits has come together and achieved what others once labeled impossible.

Career-high seasons, record-setting performances, even league honors earned.

The Miami Heat have found all the pieces of their newly redesigned puzzle.

Bloodsport

The NBA houses plenty of fake tough guys, but rest assured that James Johnson isn’t one of them.

When the second-degree black belt, MMA extraordinaire comes after someone, he means business.

Definitely a valuable asset to have around, but not exactly why the organization values his grit-and-grind attitude so much though.

The 2017-18 co-captain embodies exactly what this new era is all about for the Heat.

After mediocre runs with several other teams, he came to Miami with the notion that it would just another start to a new chapter. Instead, Johnson having signed with the Heat began to write him an entirely new book.

He started his journey towards getting into world class shape. He embraced a new role, coming off the bench with Tyler Johnson. He became a leader to his younger teammates.

And slowly but surely, he morphed into the prototype of a Miami Heat success story.

Some may call out last year’s campaign and claim that he regressed. But his slight dip in numbers were for the good of the team. Having gotten used to leading the second unit, the 31-year-old put his personal preferences aside and accepted head coach Erik Spoelstra’s challenge of splitting his time between being a starter and a role player.

Because there’s no room for selfishness as a member of this Heat squad. And no getting comfortable either.

Rook 2

Very few knew Josh Richardson‘s name when he was drafted by the franchise.

But that didn’t phase him. He was just happy to get a shot in the league.

He sure made the best of his time in Miami, too.

Fast forward a couple of years and now, the Oklahoma-native is known as one of the top up-and-coming defensive powerhouses in the NBA.

Richardson didn’t get here by being on a mission to become recognized either. He simply put in the work to further hone his craft, so he could develop into an effective contributor to the team.

His journey wasn’t without setback either.

Between multiple injuries and filling in as either shooting guard or small forward during any given matchup, it took some time for Richardson to find his groove.

Perseverance and determination always pay off in this newfound land of Miami Heat Basketball though.

The Miami Heat may have lost themselves for a few years there, but going into 2018-19, their brand couldn’t be stronger.