Ranking the top 5 Miami Heat teams of all time in the NBA
The Miami Heat have been in the NBA for 34 seasons and have made the NBA Playoffs 23 times, with three NBA championships to their name. Although they are a relatively new franchise, the Heat have often run into success and have had some historic players on their roster.
Off the court, in terms of non-players, Pat Riley has definitely been the most important individual for the franchise. As a coach, Riley won an NBA championship in 2006 with the Miami Heat. He then put together the 'Big Three' Miami Heat and earned two more titles with the franchise as Team President.
Over the years, Miami fans have seen numerous great players wear the Heat's colors. Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen and Jimmy Butler are some of the standout examples.
5 Best teams in the Miami Heat's NBA history
Most of those players even played together deep in the NBA Playoffs, and some delivered silverware in the shape of Larry O'Brien trophies. After playing in the 2020 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat endured a tough run in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, losing in the first round. They were swept by eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
The team has a moderately revamped roster for the upcoming season, with the arrival of veteran Kyle Lowry improving the team in the playmaking area. The Miami Heat are not one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference, but could definitely provide tough competition for the other teams.
In this article, we will look at the five best teams ever assembled in Miami Heat's history. Of course, we will go year by year, as there are always some small tweaks to teams, even though the core might remain the same.
Without further ado, let us start.
#5 1996-97 Miami Heat
The 1996-97 Miami Heat are a team that are scarcely mentioned among the best teams from the 1990s Eastern Conference, but the squad had an elite season. Coached by Pat Riley and led by Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning on the court, the team put up a 61-21 record in the regular season, with their best players making it to the All-Star Game.
The 61 wins in the regular season were the highest in franchise history at the time, and rank second today. In the 1997 NBA Playoffs, the Miami Heat (the second seed in the East) made a good run after defeating the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, Michael Jordan and the 69-13 Chicago Bulls faced Riley's team and won the series in five games to advance to the 1997 NBA Finals and eventually win the title. Regardless, it was the Miami Heat's best run in the NBA Playoffs at that point in time.
#4 2010-11 Miami Heat
The first season of the 'Big Three' Miami Heat was a success... until the 2011 NBA Finals took place, and the season ultimately ended in disappointment. Still, there's no argument against such a squad not being one of the best in Miami Heat's history.
With LeBron James and Chris Bosh arriving from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, respectively, and joining Dwyane Wade, the team automatically turned into the strongest candidate for the NBA title.
The trio guided the team to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, behind the Chicago Bulls and NBA MVP Derrick Rose. Of course, the start was not great for the newly-formed Big Three, as they only managed a 9-8 record early on. From that point on, however, the Heat won 21 of their next 22 games. They began looking like a team that would win titles as they promised before the start of the season.
A 58-24 record was the second-best for the Miami Heat during LeBron James' stint with the franchise, and was good enough for them to enter the postseason as a clear contender. After beating the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and the top-seeded Bulls, the Miami Heat were set to face the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki in the NBA Finals.
The Heat arguably should've taken a 3-0 lead after three games in the 2011 NBA Finals. But they lost the second game after taking a 15-point lead midway through the fourth quarter and were left to rue the missed opportunities.
Regardless, the side did manage to take a 2-1 lead on the road. But the series shifted immediately after, with the Heat and LeBron James struggling mightily. James even had a woeful eight-point outing in the fourth game, and the Mavs took advantage to win the title in six games.
James averaged 17.8 points in the series, and the Miami Heat could not overcome the Mavs in the deciding series.
Still, the 58-24 regular-season record and making it to the NBA Finals for only the second time in franchise history is good enough for the 2010-11 team to be considered one of Miami's best.