The 3 Greatest Miami Heat Players of All-Time
The Miami Heat are one of the best NBA franchises of all-time. They have been one of the best since the turn of the century. They won six conference titles and three NBA Titles within 15 years (2006-2020). That all has to do with elite players, great coaches, and aggressive front office executives.
It seems as if the Miami Heat has always had a player or two that is at the top of their game. Whether that is Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Shaquille O'Neal, or Jimmy Butler, Miami has always had a superstar at the helm.
The three greatest Miami Heat players of all-time:
G Dwyane Wade
Simply put, Dwyane Wade is one of the greatest players in NBA history. A case could be made that he is the best player in the Miami Heat's franchise history. The 13-time All-Star and 3-time NBA champion was a star on South Beach. He is the franchise's all-time leader in scoring (21,556), assists (5,310), and steals (1,492).
After playing 15 of his 17 career seasons with the Heat, the franchise retired his No. 3 jersey in February of 2020. After being named as a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, he was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Almost all of that is because of his career with the Miami Heat.
C Alonzo Mourning
Mourning is arguably the best big man in Miami Heat history. He has made all seven of his career All-Star appearances with the Heat. He was also a member of the team's 2006 NBA Championship Team. After playing 11 of his 16 career seasons with the Heat, he finished with the 2nd-most points (9,459) and the 2nd-most rebounds (4,807) in franchise history.
Mourning was the back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000. His productivity in South Florida was off the charts. This is why his No. 33 jersey was retired by the Heat in 2009.
PF Udonis Haslem
Udonis Haslem has been a franchise mainstay for two decades in Miami. In those 20 years, Haslem has become the Heat's all-time leader in rebounds (5,780). He is also the franchise's all-time playoff leader with 230 offensive rebounds. Like Wade, Haslem has been a part of all three championship teams.
The 42-year-old has transitioned into more of a leadership role rather than a star over the last half-decade. He has not played more than 60 games in a season since the 2014-15 season. Regardless, Haslem couldn't have scripted his career any better. He is one of the greatest Heat players and Miami sports figures of all-time.