10 Players You Didn’t Know Played For The Miami Heat: Penny Hardaway, Danny Granger Retired In A Heat Jersey

The Miami Heat are one of the greatest NBA franchises in history, and some Hall of Fame players are widely recognized as one of the best to ever wear the Heat uniform. Guys like Dwayne Wade, Alonzo Mourning, and LeBron James are all known by the majority of fans as stars who played in Miami.

But there are also some very recognized players that may have slipped under the radar as players for the Heat franchise. Here is a list of the 10 players who you might not know that they played for the Miami Heat.

Honorable mention:

 Patrick Beverley  

2010 Preseason: 6.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.0 BPG

After being selected as the 42nd overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 NBA draft, Patrick Beverley was traded to the Miami Heat. He played some pre-season games for the team, but was cut as a part of the final roster cuts. 

He couldn’t make the roster that year, leaving the league to pursue opportunities overseas. Bev would return to the association to become one of the best defensive players in recent years. 

10. Manute Bol

1994 Season: 0.3 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.0 APG, 0.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG

Manute Bol is one of the greatest shot-blockers in NBA history, but he was traded twice during the 1994 season. He spent 8 games with the Heat, averaging negligible numbers, and was traded to the Washington Bullets and Philadelphia 76ers afterward.

Bol was 31 years of age and on his last legs because age and attrition began to take a toll on his body. Manute would only play 5 games the following season before playing in Italy to end his professional career. Still, Bol had the chance to play for the Heat before he called it quits on his career.

9. Jerry Stackhouse

2011 Season: 1.7 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG

A 36-year old Jerry Stackhouse only played 7 games with the Miami Heat in the 2011 season, starting 1 game and averaging the lowest mark of his career for a team. Stackhouse was older, slower, and not needed by a team after 7 games with the Heat.

But Stackhouse would play 2 more seasons in the league by playing 67 games for the Hawks and Nets over that period. The former 2-time All-Star was at least a solid veteran over the final seasons of his career.

8. Penny Hardaway

2008 Season: 3.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG

At 36 years old, 4-time All-Star Penny Hardaway played his final season in the league with the Miami Heat. Hardaway only appeared in 16 games, averaging 20.3 MPG and even starting 8 games with the team. But he clearly wasn’t the same player as he was in his prime.

Hardaway averaged 3.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 2.2 APG with Miami in that season in what would be his second-lowest scoring season in his career. It is probable that many didn’t know the Orlando Magic legend played for Miami because of that.

7. Zydrunas Ilgauskas

2011 Season: 5.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG

The big Lithuanian also played the final season of his career with the Miami Heat, playing 72 games and starting 51 of them. Ilgauskas was brought in to provide veteran leadership, size, and depth because the team brought in 3 max players in LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

Ilgauskas was still a presence down low, but he could not be prevalent for the Heat as he only played 11.6 MPG in the postseason. The big man would go on to retire after the 2011 season and call it quits on a career that included 2 All-Star appearances.

6. Amar’e Stoudemire

2016 Season: 5.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG

One of the most powerful dunkers and athletes to play the power forward position, Amar’e Stoudemire was 33 years old when he played for the Miami Heat. Stoudemire started 36 of the 52 games he appeared in, averaging 5.8 PPG and 4.3 RPG in what would be his final season in the NBA.

Stoudemire would go on to play in Israel the following year, a country he would find his spiritual attachment to as well. Amar’e was clearly on his last legs but the Heat still felt he could be a veteran presence on the team.

5. Danny Granger

2015 Season: 6.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Like a few other players on this list, Danny Granger played the final season of his career with the Heat. Granger was supposed to be a superstar player in the league but injuries derailed his career after the 2012 season, and never averaged in double-digits again.

Danny Granger played 30 games for the Heat in 2016, starting 6 of them and averaging 20.4 MPG. The forward could never recover his All-Star form but he was a valuable veteran for the Heat at 31 years old before his retirement.

4. Shawn Marion

2008 Season: 14.3 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG

2009 Season: 12.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.1 BPG

A great defensive wing with probably the most awkward jumpers in NBA history, Shawn Marion had a decent stint with the Miami Heat over his career. He ended the 2008 season where he only appeared in 16 games with the team and then completed 42 games with the Heat in the 2009 season.

Marion averaged 12.7 PPG and 9.4 RPG over the 58 games with Miami and was a solid starter as well over 56 games. Playing 36.5 MPG, Marion was still in his prime and yet flew under the radar as a Heat player.

3. Joe Johnson

2016 Season: 13.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Iso Joe, one of the best isolation scorers in his generation, had a very short stint with the Miami Heat franchise after getting traded from Brooklyn. In the 2016 season, at 34 years old, Johnson had 13.4 PPG on 41.7% from three. He could still score but did not have his explosive athleticism anymore.

Johnson was far off from being the player he was in his prime, and only appearing in 24 games with the Heat might be a reason no one had a clue he played in Miami. He did manage to start every game so that was at least a plus for him.

2. Jermaine O’Neal

2009 Season: 13.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.4 SPG, 2.0 BPG

2010 Season: 13.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.4 BPG

Jermaine O’Neal was traded into the 2009 season to the Heat and was a solid two-way big man for the team. O’Neal was already a 6-time All-Star and superstar for the Indiana Pacers, but the “Malice at the Palace” fiasco truly derailed his career because of the break-up of a championship team.

O’Neal would start for the Heat the following season, playing 70 games, and was still an impactful two-way presence. But the 2010 season would be the final strong season for O’Neal before he averaged under 9 PPG for 4 straight years until retirement.

1. Lamar Odom

2004 Season: 17.1 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.9 BPG

Lamar Odom is mainly known as the versatile young star for the Los Angeles Clippers and also a 6th man for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he made a put-stop in Miami during the 2004 season before he joined the Lakers. Odom was a solid power forward, averaging 17.1 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, and 0.9 BPG.

Odom started all 80 games with Miami, playing 37.5 MPG. His versatility as a ball-handler, passer, and rebounder made him a very valuable piece to a Miami team that would soon take off after he was traded to the Lakers one season later.

**Credit for idea: ballrsnation**

Next

The Top 10 Most Lopsided Trades From The Last Decade: The Failed Nets Superteam, The Clippers Missing Out On Kyrie Irving

Top 10 Draft Picks From The 2003 NBA Draft: Where Are They Now?

LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant In Head-To-Head Matchups: They Beat Each Other With Superteams

The Deadliest Kryptonite For The Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie Irving Is 3-10 Against LeBron James, Kevin Durant Is 4-13 Against Carmelo Anthony

Where Are The 2019 Los Angeles Lakers Players Now: LeBron James Is The Only One Left