What’s new with the Miami Heat? That’s what this page is all about.
The Team Spirit FAST BREAK website begins where the Team Spirit books end.
That’s because basketball never stands still … And I can never squeeze everything I want into 48 pages!
Take a look at some of the Heat collectibles I have in my home.
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Updates
2022-23 Season
January 10, 2023: Heat players went to the foul line 40 times in a game against the Thunder and made all 40 free throws. They broke the record of 39-for-39 set by the Utah Jazz more than 40 years earlier.
Season Preview: Miami may not have the strong team it had when it went to the NBA Finals in past years, but with Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler, the Heat has one of the most dangerous “inside-outside” duos in the league. The two All-Stars will need help, and they should get it from veteran Kyle Lowry and rising star Tyler Herro. If everyone stays healthy, Miami fans can expect a 50-win season, and maybe more.
2021-22 Season
Season Recap: The Heat finished 53–29, giving them the best record in East. They defeated the Hawks and 76ers in the playoffs but lost at home to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Conference Finals. A furious comeback in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter fell just short, 100–96. Veterans Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry were sensational all year, with help from up-and-coming stars Bam Abedayo and Tyler Herro.
December 4, 2021: Duncan Robinson hit his 600th 3-pointer in just his 184th NBA game—a new league record.
Season Preview: If team leaders Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, and Victor Oladipo stay healthy in 2021–22, the Heat could make another run to the NBA Finals. They have added Kyle Lowry, one of the top free agents on the market. Miami fans worry about the second- and third-line players on the bench, and rightly so. There is a big drop-off from the starters to the subs. However, a fully healthy Heat team would be no fun to face in the playoffs.
2020-21 Season
Season Recap: Miami made the playoffs with 40 wins but did not make a return trip to the NBA Finals, falling to the Bucks in the first round. Jimmy Butler had a great year at the age of 31 and 23-year-old Bam Adebayo blossomed into one of the league’s best all-around players.
February 19, 2021: Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler had triple-doubles in the same game against the Kings.
January 07, 2021: Duncan Robinson made the 300th three-pointer of his career in just his 95th game. No one has ever reached 300 “threes” faster.
Season Preview: Miami fans are still wondering how the Heat would have done in the NBA Finals if Jimmy Butler had had a healthy supporting cast. In 2021, he will. Young center Bam Adebayo and veteran point guard Goran Dragic should be at full strength this season, but Miami’s competition has also improved. It will be interesting to see how Butler & Co. do now that they are the “team to beat.”
2019-20 Season
Season Recap: The signing of veteran scorer Jimmy Butler prior to the season proved to be a stroke of genius. He added star power to a team that already had lots of talent. Butler and rising star Bam Adebayo led Miami to an upset of the Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs. That was followed by a win over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat became the first fifth-seeded playoff team since 1999 to make it all the way to the NBA Finals. There they met the powerhouse Lakers, who beat them 4 games to 2. Butler became the only player besides LeBron James to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in the NBA Finals, but it just wasn’t enough.
February 4, 2020: Kendrick Nunn was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for the third time in a row. He averaged 16.8 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in January and shot better than 50% from the field. Nunn went undrafted in 2018 after finishing his college career.
Season Preview: Miami fans can expect a winning season, but the team is not built to go far in the playoffs. Jimmy Butler is the new leader of the Heat. He rounds out a roster that includes lots of talent—Bam Adebayo, Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters, and Dion Waiters to name a few—so leadership from Butler and good coaching from Erik Spoelstra should translate to 45 or 50 victories.
2018-19 Season
Season Recap: The Heat came up three wins short of making the playoffs, finishing 39–43 in Dwyane Wade’s farewell season. Wade was second on the team in scoring and was among the team leaders in assists and steals. Center Hassan Whiteside was Miami’s leader in rebounding and blocked shots, while guard Josh Richardson had his best year as a pro with 16.6 points per game.
November 7, 2018: Hassan Whiteside scored 29 points and pulled down 20 rebounds in a win over the Spurs. He also blocked 8 shots in the first half to set a new team record.
Season Preview: No team can match Miami’s group of talented big men. But Hassan Whiteside, Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk can’t all play at the same time. Coach Erik Spoelstra will have to find the right mix on the front line, and get quality minutes out of Justise Winslow, James Johnson and veteran Dwyane Wade. The talent is there for a winning season.
2017-18 Season
Season Recap: A midseason trade brought Dwyane Wade back to Miami and he provided the leadership needed for the Heat to finish first in the Southeast Division with a 44–38 record. Nine different players averaged at least 10 points a game, with veteran guard Goran Dragic leading the Heat with 17.2 points per game. Hassan Whiteside led the club in rebounds and blocked shots. Miami faced the young 76ers in the opening round of the playoffs and lost 4 games to 1.
April 4, 2018: Wayne Ellington, a substitute for Miami, set a new record for reserve players when he made his 207th three-pointer of the season.
March 19, 2018: The Heat set a new team record for points when they defeated the Denver Nuggets 149–141.
Season Preview: Miami’s quality eight-man rotation can play with anyone in the league, despite not having a recognizable star. Heat fans hope that a year from now Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow, and Hassan Whiteside are “household names.”
2016-17 Season
Season Recap: The Heat had a true “Jekyll & Hyde” season, going 11–30 in the first half and 30–11 in the second half. Their best player, shot-blocking sensation Hassan Whiteside, led the NBA in rebounding and had a 30-rebound, 20-point game against the 76ers—in just 27 minutes! He was also the first player in Miami history to reach 1,000 points and rebounds in the same season. Unfortunately, the Heat missed the playoffs by one victory.
2015-16 Season
Season Preview: A healthy Chris Bosh and rested Dwyane Wade will be the key to the retooled Miami offense. Veterans Amare Stoudemire, Luol Deng, and Gerald Green will be counted upon for scoring, as will Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic, and rookie Justise Winslow. Can the Heat compete in their second season without LeBron James? The experience and talent are definitely there.
2014-15 Season
Season Recap: After reaching the NBA Finals four times in a row, the Heat fell short of winning a playoff spot, finishing with 37 wins. The team could not make up for the loss of LeBron James, despite solid seasons from Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Luol Deng, and Zoran Dragic, who came to Miami in a late-season trade for draft picks.
Season Preview: Miami goes into battle without the NBA’s best player, LeBron James. That puts extra pressure on guards Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers. The Heat are still a dangerous team, but may need to find a big-time center if they want to return to the NBA Finals.
2013-14 Season
July 14, 2140: The Heat spent the 2013–14 season getting ready for the playoffs—sharpening their skills and making sure their stars were healthy and rested. The team won 54 games and LeBron James scored over 2,000 points for the second year in a row. James also led the teams in rebounds and assists, and tied Ray Allen for the team lead with 116 3-pointers. The Heat reached the NBA Finals with the loss of just four games, but they were unable to match up with the San Antonio Spurs, who defeated them 4 games to 1. Almost immediately, Miami fans began wondering whether James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh would remain with the team. All three could opt out of their contracts during the summer of 2014. On July 12, James signed a two-year contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wade and Bosh decided to stay with Miami.
Season Recap: The Heat spent the 2013–14 season getting ready for the playoffs—sharpening their skills and making sure their stars were healthy and rested. The team won 54 games and LeBron James scored over 2,000 points for the second year in a row. James also led the teams in rebounds and assists, and tied Ray Allen for the team lead with 116 3-pointers.
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League Leaders
Playing for the Championship
HEAT in the FINALS
SEASON | OPPONENT | SCORE |
---|---|---|
2005-06 | Dallas Mavericks | Won 4-2 |
2010-11 | Dallas Mavericks | Lost 2-4 |
2011-12 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Won 4-1 |
2012-13 | San Antonio Spurs | Lost 4-3 |
2013-14 | San Antonio Spurs | Lost 1-4 |