The Miami Heat are one of the youngest franchises in the NBA. They had their first season as a franchise in 1988-89 and over the years, have become a successful team and a hotspot for big-name free agents. Some of the greatest players in NBA history have chosen to play in South Beach, including Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, and more. The Heat have had their struggles, just as any franchise integrating into the best league in the world would have early on. Over the last two decades, they have seemed to right the ship.
The Miami Heat are one of just eight teams to win three or more NBA championships. They won their NBA championships in 2006, 2012, and 2013. Since then, they have made numerous NBA Finals appearances and Eastern Conference Finals appearances. The team has built a winning culture led by executive Pat Riley and Head Coach Erik Spoelstra. While the team may be headed in a different direction after the 2022-23 season, we pay homage today to the legends who have made this franchise special over the last 35 years.
This is the Miami Heat’s all-time GOAT Pyramid.
Tier 5
Tyler Herro, Jason Williams, Mario Chalmers, P.J. Brown, Sherman Douglas, Brian Grant, Grant Long, Steve Smith, Dion Waiters, Dan Majerle, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Gary Payton, James Jones
Tier Five of our Miami Heat GOAT Pyramid is filled with supporting cast members who contributed to championships and or are held in high regard by the franchise and its fans. We kick things off with former Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro, who is in the midst of his fourth season with the Heat in 2022-23. Herro won the 2021-22 Sixth Man of the Year with 20.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 4.0 APG off the bench. He also helped the Heat to an NBA Finals appearance in 2020 and is averaging 20.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 4.4 APG through 45 games this season.
Jason Williams is remembered for his incredible highlight reel passes and handles that captivated audiences everywhere during the 2000s. Williams was a member of the Heat2006 thru 2008 and was their starter for most of his time there. In 2006, Williams helped the Heat capture their first NBA championship as he started all 23 playoff games and averaged 9.3 PPG and 3.9 APG. Williams averaged 10.6 PPG and 4.9 APG over the course of his three seasons with the Heat.
Mario Chalmers always felt like the little brother of the 2010s Heat teams. I vividly remember him and the “Big 3” of LeBron, Wade, and Bosh arguing with Chalmers on the court more than once. Chalmers played seven and a half seasons with Miami from 2009 thru 2016 and was the starter for both of their championships in 2012 and 2013. Over the course of their two title runs, he averaged 10.3 PPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.1 SPG in the playoffs.
P.J. Brown was a defensive specialist and played with the Miami Heat from 1997 thru 2000. While with the Heat, Brown was named to two All-Defensive Second Teams in 1997 and 1999. In his four seasons with Miami, Brown averaged 9.9 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 0.9 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. Although he was never an All-Star, Brown helped Miami reach the playoffs all four seasons that he was there as the starting power forward.
Sherman Douglas is probably more well-known for being the man Michael Jordan has the best individual record against than much of anything else, but he was a great player for the Heat from 1990 thru 1992. Douglas did so much in so little time that he still remains eighth on Miami’s all-time assists list. Douglas averaged 16.0 PPG, 7.9 APG, and 1.7 SPG in 159 games played for the Heat.
Probably the most underrated player in Miami Heat history is Brian Grant. He played four seasons with Miami from 2001 thru 2004 and averaged 11.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG during his career there. He had the best season of his career with the Heat in 2001 when he averaged a career-high 15.2 PPG and pulled down 8.8 RPG in 82 games played. He was durable and inserted energy into the lineup with the way he fought for rebounds and loose balls on the court. In my opinion, Grant’s jersey should hang from the rafter in South Beach.
Grant Long made his NBA debut at the same time that the Miami Heat did in 1988-89. Long was selected in the second round of the 1988 NBA Draft by Miami and was immediately made the starting power forward. In seven and a half seasons with the Heat, Long averaged 11.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 1.4 SPG. He ranks third in steals and seventh in rebounds in Heat history and is regarded as one of the greatest players they ever drafted in the second round.
Steve Smith is more well-known for his All-Star days with the Hawks than for the beginning of his career with the Heat, but he made an impact in the short time he was there. Smith played three and a half seasons with Miami before being traded to Atlanta for Kevin Willis. In his final two seasons with Miami, Smith averaged 16.0 PPG or better in each as well as over 4.0 RPG and 5.0 APG. Smith would go on to become an All-Star in Atlanta and a 20.0 PPG scorer on multiple occasions.
I cannot help but think about the shootout between Dion Waiters and Tim Hardaway Jr. during the Rising Stars Game at the All-Star break whenever Waiters’ name comes up. Waiters spent three and a half seasons with the Heat toward the end of his career but clearly still had something left in the tank. In 2017, he had a career year by averaging 15.8 PPG but only appeared 46 times due to injury. He shot 36.8% from three over his three-and-a-half seasons with Miami and averaged 13.9 PPG.
Dan Majerle is known as the All-Defensive stalwart with the Suns during the early 1990s, but he also played some great ball with the Heat from 1997 thru 2001. In five seasons with the Heat, it was clear that his offensive game and athleticism had declined, but he was still impactful on the defensive end. In his time with Miami, Majerle averaged 7.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.1 SPG in 278 appearances.
By the time Shane Battier arrived in Miami, his career was at the very tail end. He was no longer good to deliver double-digit scoring, nor was he playing at the level of a starter in the NBA. Battier did still play good defense and could knock down shots created by LeBron and Wade driving to the lane. In 2013, Battier shot 42.0% from three on 5.0 attempts with Miami. Battier would be along for the ride to two NBA championships in 2012 and 2013 and promptly retired after the 2014 season.
Mike Miller had one of the smoothest shooting strokes to ever grace the NBA. Miller played 17 seasons in the NBA, mainly as a 3-point specialist. Miller played with Miami from 2011 thru 2013 and came off the bench as a shooter for three NBA Finals and two NBA championships. He averaged just 5.4 PPG and 3.4 RPG in his time with Miami but always seemed to be in the right place at the right time to hit a timely shot and swing momentum.
Gary Payton was far from the Defensive Player of the Year and Jordan rival he was in the 1990s when he joined the Heat for the final two seasons of his career in 2006 and 2007. Payton played backup to Jason Willimas for the most part but always seemed to be the closer at the end of games, especially if they were important. Payton would help Miami capture their first NBA championship in 2006 while averaging just over 5.0 PPG off the bench in the playoffs.
The final member of Tier Five for the Miami Heat is current Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones. He played six seasons with the Heat from 2009 through 2014, mostly in a bench role as he battled injury constantly. Jones was another player who provided timely shooting for Miami on their two championship teams in 2012 and 2013 but couldn’t thrive in any situation due to missing so much time.
Tier 4
Bam Adebayo, Rony Seikaly, Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, Glen Rice, Jamal Mashburn, Eddie Jones, Udonis Haslem, Ray Allen
As we enter Tier Four of our Miami Heat GOAT pyramid, we take a step up in quality from that of Tier Five. Starting things off is a versatile defender and overall fantastic addition to the Heat culture, Bam Adebayo. He has been a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year a few times, as well as earned three All-Defensive Team selections. He is also a two-time All-Star including in 2022-23. In his sixth season with the Heat, Adebayo already ranks seventh in franchise history in blocks and sixth in total rebounds. He helped the Heat reach the NBA Finals in 2020 and is considered one of the better defenders in all of basketball as one of the top players in line for Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23.
Rony Seikaly made his NBA debut with the Miami Heat during their inaugural 1988-89 season. Seikaly would spend six seasons with Miami and become a double-double machine in his time there. In 1990, Seikaly was named the Most Improved player when he averaged 16.6 PPG and 10.4 RPG for the Heat in 74 games. For the Heat, Seikaly ranks third all-time in rebounds and sixth all-time in points.
Had it not been for a Goran Dragic injury in 2020, we may be speaking about the Miami Heat as four-time NBA champions. Ok, not really, but it would have been much closer. Dragic spent the better part of seven seasons with Miami and became one of their more beloved players ever. In 2018, Dragic earned his only All-Star appearance ever while playing for Miami when he averaged 17.3 PPG. In his seven seasons there, he averaged 16.2 PPG and 5.2 APG in just under 400 games played.
I remember a time when I thought Hassan Whiteside was going to be the next Dwight Howard or Shaq. He was that good early on in his career with Miami playing five seasons with them from 2015 thru 2019. He won an NBA blocks title in 2016 with the Heat when he averaged 3.7 BPG and a rebounding title in 2017 with 14.1 RPG. In five total seasons with the Heat, he averaged 14.1 PPG, 11.9 RPG, and 2.4 BPG while earning one All-Defensive Team selection. Whiteside requested out in the summer of 2019 and was promptly traded to Portland, where he went on to win another blocks title.
Glen Rice is perhaps one of the most underrated players of the 1990s and is definitely one of the players who would thrive in today’s three-point league. Rice has scored the third-most points in Miami Heat history, and he only did it in six seasons. He averaged 19.3 PPG and 1.2 SPG over that span and shot 38.6% from three-point range. Rice would go on to make three All-Star and three All-NBA Teams later on with Charlotte, but his time with Miami was what kickstarted his amazing career.
Jamal Mashburn is another underrated star of the 1990s and 2000s as a do-it-all player on both ends of the court. When Miami needed him to score, he did. When they needed him to lock up an opponent, he did. Mashburn played three and a half seasons with Miami and averaged 15.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, and 1.0 SPG in 180 games played. As their starting small forward, Mashburn led them to four playoff appearances and cemented his legacy as a member of the Miami Heat.
Tier Four seems to be filled with underrated stars galore for the Miami Heat, and that continues with Eddie Jones. After his All-Star days with the Lakers and Hornets, Jones became a top player for the Heat as well. From 2001 thru 2005 with Miami, Jones averaged 16.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, and 1.3 SPG. He shot 38.1% from three and ranks third all-time for the team in three-pointers made.
Udonis Haslem has been in Miami for what seems to be forever. Even in a very, very limited role in 2022-23, Halsem is still imparting his wisdom on the bench for the Heat to the new generation. Haslem has never called anywhere else home and, during his peak, was a tough interior presence for any opponent to handle. He may be the punchline of many jokes these days due to his old age and inability to let go of the game, but he put some respect on one of the greatest Miami Heat players to ever have lived.
We all know why Ray Allen is even remotely high on this Miami Heat GOAT pyramid. Allen was at the very tail end of his career with Miami and looked like a shell of his former self for most of his tenure there. That didn’t stop him from hitting the biggest shot in Heat history during the 2013 NBA Finals. As the time ran down, Allen received a pass from Chris Bosh off an errant LeBron James shot in the corner. With ice in his veins, Allen nicked down a three to send Game Six of the Finals into overtime which the Heat eventually won. The Heat became back-to-back NBA champions in Game Seven thanks to Allen’s heroics in Game Six.
Tier 3
Alonzo Mourning, Chris Bosh, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Hardaway, Jimmy Butler
Believe it or not, Alonzo Mourning had a case to be Miami’s greatest player until an untimely kidney disease and Dwyane Wade came along. Mourning put the Heat on the map in the 90s with his incredible two-way play as one of the league’s best big men and shot-blockers. Mourning ranks second in points and rebounds for the Heat in their history, while he ranks first in blocks by more than double the next closest player. He was a five-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year in Miami who averaged 16.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 2.7 BPG in 11 seasons in South Beach.
Before coming to Miami, Chris Bosh was a Top 10 player in basketball with the Raptors. He made sacrifices to his game in order to win championships alongside LeBron and Dwyane Wade. He would do just that, winning two in 2012 and 2013 while becoming one of the forefathers of the stretch-forward movement. In six seasons with the Heat, Bosh was a six-time All-Star who averaged 18.0 PPG and 7.3 RPG for the team. He is still held in higher regard than most in Heat history, beloved by fans all over the world.
The NBA world was rocked in 2004 when the Heat acquired Shaquille O’Neal from the Lakers. The deal paired Shaq with young star Dwyane Wade for the 2004-05 season. Shaq would finish runner-up for the MVP in his first season with Miami averaging 20.0 PPG. In his second season with the team, he and Wade would lead them to their first NBA championship in franchise history. Although Wade was the main guy, Shaq played a large role in their NBA title run, the fourth of his career.
Tim Hardaway is quite easily the best ball-handler of the 90s, or at least he is up there. Hardaway came over to the Heat from the Warriors in the middle of the 1995-96 season and would stay for the next five years. Hardaway would be a two-time All-Star with the team and averaged 17.3 PPG, 7.8 APG, and 1.5 SPG during his time there. Hardaway was a special point guard who could create and get to the rim at will with his unbelievable handles and speed. He is definitively one of the greatest in Miami Heat history.
The final member of Tier Three is a newer member of the Heat but by far their most impactful in years. Jimmy Butler had struggled to find a home in the NBA, clashing with teammates and coaches in both Philadelphia and Minnesota before landing in Miami. Once he arrived, it felt like home as he became one of the best two-way players in the entire game. Butler would literally exhaust himself by willing the Heat to and through the NBA Finals in 2020, falling just shy of a championship to the Lakers. He has been a two-time All-Star there as well as a Two-time All-NBA Team selection as well as one All-Defensive Team selection.
Tier 2
LeBron James
LeBron James was so good with the Miami Heat that he has to have his own tier, it just isn’t number one. In Miami, this was the peak of LeBron James on both sides of the ball as he nearly took home a Defensive Player of the Year award in the midst of all his other accolades. James led the Heat to four straight NBA Finals, winning two. He was named Finals MVP for both championships and also took home two MVP awards in his four years with the team. LeBron was at the peak of his power in Miami, and it was easily the best version of his game we have ever seen.
Tier 1
Dwyane Wade
As great as LeBron was during his short Miami stint, no one meant more to the team or the city than Dwyane Wade did in his time there. Wade became the greatest player in team history in just his third season when he led the Heat to their first NBA championship in 2006. Wade claimed Finals MVP in that series and would go on to help them win two more in the 2010s. In his 15 seasons with Miami, Wade was named an All-Star 13 times, All-NBA Team selection eight times, All-Defensive Team selection three times, and won three NBA titles. In Miami history, he ranks first in steals, points, and assists while Top 10 in every other major category. He truly is the one and only Miami Heat GOAT.
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