Miami Heat

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The club plays its home games at American Airlines Arena, and has won three NBA championships. The Heat hold the record for the NBA’s third-longest winning streak, 27 straight games, set during the 2012–13 season. In 2018, the team acquired All-Star Jimmy Butler to return the Heat to the NBA Finals in 2020.

About Miami Heat in brief

Summary Miami HeatThe Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The club plays its home games at American Airlines Arena, and has won three NBA championships. The franchise began play in the 1988–89 NBA season as an expansion team. After a period of mediocrity, the Heat gained relevance during the 1990s following the appointment of former head coach Pat Riley as team president. The Heat hold the record for the NBA’s third-longest winning streak, 27 straight games, set during the 2012–13 season. Four Hall of Famers have played for Miami, while LeBron James has won the NBA MVP Award while playing for the team. In 2018, the team acquired All-Star Jimmy Butler to return the Heat to the NBA Finals in 2020. The team also signed free-agent swing-man Lamar Odom to play alongside LeBron James and Chris Bosh in the 2013-14 season. The Miami Heat have won the Eastern Conference Southeast Division three times, most recently in 2012 and 2013. They have also reached the Conference Finals twice, in 2002 and 2004. The NBA Finals have been won by the Miami Heat on three occasions, in 2006, 2008 and 2012, and in 2013 and 2014. In 2012, Miami went back to the Finals for the first time in eight years, where they lost to the defending champion Detroit Pistons 6–2. In 2013, Miami won their first Eastern Conference Finals in the first round and went on to win the NBA title for the second time in their history. In 2014, Miami reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost 6-2 to the New York Knicks in a rematch of the 2012 NBA Finals.

In 2015, Miami beat the Detroit Pistons 3-2 on the road to win their first Western Conference title in six years. In the 2014-15 season, Miami finished with a record of 59–23, consequently garnering the first overall seed in the NBA Eastern Conference. They also won the Southeast Division title, their third in a row and their first since the 1995-96 season. In 2016, Miami earned the moniker of ‘Road Warriors’ for its remarkable 32–9 record on the Road, and currently second-best in team history. Miami has won two NBA titles, the first in 2000 and the second in 2003. In 1995, the franchise purchased the franchise from Carnival Cruise Lines chairman Micky Arison. Pat Riley was brought in as the team president and head coach. He acquired center Alonzo Mourning and point guard Tim Hardaway to serve as the centerpieces for the Heat, transforming Miami into a championship contender throughout the late 1990s. In 2003, Miami selected shooting guard Dwyane Wade out of Marquette. In 2006, Miami made it to the Conference finals against the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls before losing in five games. After the departure of Shaquille O’Neal two years later, Miami entered into another period of decline for the remainder of the 2000s. Riley stepped down as head coach to focus on rebuilding the Heat. In 2008, Erik Spoelstra, James, Wade, and Bosh led the team to back-to-back championships.