miami heat history
miami heat history
The Miami Heat is one of the most dominant and exciting teams in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, and the lock pick to take the Southeast Division. Center Shaquille O’Neal is the best at his position, shooting 60.1 percent from the field and averaging 22.9 points and 10.4 rebounds a game in the 2004-05 season. Guard Dwyane Wade carried the Heat in their sweeps of the Nets and the Wizards in the playoffs, averaging 27.4 points in 14 playoff games. The chemistry between Wade and Shaq is unbeatable, and Heat ticket holders will have reason to celebrate this season, as their one-two punch all but guarantees Miami a spot in the playoffs.
One of the younger teams in the NBA, the Heat began lighting up Miami’s American Airlines Arena in 1988. After some dismal years, expected of an expansion team, they won their first Division title in 1997, and followed it up with repeat performances for three more years. Center Alonzo Mourning and point guard Tim Hardaway turned the newly formed team into an NBA powerhouse. The rivalry between Mourning and his mentor Patrick Ewing of the Knicks made Heat tickets a hot commodity as fans lined up to see the two square off in the Eastern Conference.
At the beginning of this century, however, the Heat fell apart. Offseason deals sent many Heat players to Charlotte, and it was Charlotte who knocked them out of the 2001 playoffs in the first round. But things were about to change in Miami. In the 2003 draft, the Heat took handsome shooting guard Dwyane Wade and signed Lamar Odom and Rafer Alston. But the key acquisition came in the summer of 2004, when Shaquille O'Neal signed on with Miami, leaving a volatile situation behind with the Los Angeles Lakers. The feud between Shaq and Kobe Bryant was too much to bear, and the big center wanted to leave the cool beaches of the West Coast for the hot action of sunny South Florida. Miami was only too happy to make the trade for three players and a first-round draft pick for the big center, much to the joy of Heat season ticket holders. Shaq was and is one of the most widely recognized stars of the NBA due to his size, ability, and success on the court (not to mention his movies, hip-hop albums, and television commercials). Miami fans with Heat tickets had new hope for the future. Despite many analysts' doubts about whether O'Neal could fill the void of losing so many players, Shaq's new-look Heat proved to be Miami's ticket to success, as the Heat posted the best record in the Eastern Conference for 2004-05.
With Shaq's new five-year contract, Miami Heat fans feel they will be buying NBA Playoff tickets for many years to come. With deep talent on the bench, the only team that can beat the Heat is the Heat. Head coach Stan Van Gundy has his work cut out for him in figuring out how to harness the large amounts of individual talent in O'Neal, Wade, Antoine Walker, Jason Williams and James Posey, as well as veteran point Gary Payton into a cohesive team. This may be a harder task than it sounds. Chemistry is key in the NBA. The Heat do look great on paper, but can they translate that into a ticket to the Finals?
