About the Miami Heat

The heat became part of the NBA in 1988 when the league granted an expansion team to a group of investors that included Ted Arison, Lewis Schaffel, and former Philadelphia 76ers star Billy Cunningham. The team used its 1988 draft picks to select center Rony Seikaly, guard Kevin Edwards, and forward Grant Long.

The Heat lost the first 17 games of its 1988-89 debut season, and set an NBA record for the most losses to begin a season. Finishing the year with a 15-67 win-loss record, Miami used its poor finale to its benefit, selecting forward Glen Rice and guard Sherman Douglas in the 1989 NBA draft. The team record slowly improved over the next few years. During the 1991-92 season the team scored a 38-44 record, qualifying for its first playoff appearance. The inexperienced Heat, however, were defeated by the Chicago Bulls in the first round in three straight games.

The Heat returned to the playoffs in 1993-94 by scoring a 42-40 win-loss record, the teams first winning season. Rice led the team in offense, scoring 21.1 points per game. In the playoffs Miami lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, three games to two.

The Heat made several personnel moves during the 1994-95 season, trading Seikaly and Long and adding forward-center Kevin Willis to the roster. The teams ownership also changed when the Arison family bought out both Schaffel and Cunningham for controlling interest of the team. Despite the changes and the high scoring of both Willis and Rice, the team ended the season with a record of 32-50.

After that, the Heat hired former New York Knicks coach Pat Riley to guide the team beginning with the 1995-96 season. The team also traded Rice to the Charlotte Hornets for center Alonzo Mourning. The effort to refuel the team for the late 1990s continued, and by the seasons end only one player remained from the previous years roster. The Heat finished the season 42-40 and lost to the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

On June 26, 2002 the HEAT selected University of Connecticut forward Caron Butler with the 10th pick of the 2002 NBA Draft and LaSalle University forward Rasual Butler with the 53rd pick of the 2002 NBA Draft. Caron and Rasual play during summer league and are both signed by August 15th.

Due to a drop in in his body chemistry levels, the HEAT announce that Alonzo Mourning will be out indefinitely starting September 12, 2003. The Miami HEAT missed the center mightily, as the team struggled to a 25-57 season without their veteran leader. Alonzo Mourning would miss the entire 2002-03 season. Despite losses, since Pat Riley took the reigns of the HEAT organization in September of 1995 the HEAT produced the eighth best record in the NBA over that eight-year period and the third best mark in the Eastern Conference.

The HEAT had other positives as well. Caron and Rasual Butler were the best rookies through 82 games. Caron (78 gms) made the biggest impact  by leading all rookies in minutes played, scoring and steals. As a result of his outstanding play through the first four months of the season, Caron was named the got milk Rookie of the Month for November, January, February and March. With his  scoring pace during the month of March, Caron Butler recorded the highest scoring average of any rookie during the 2002-03 season with his 20.1 points per game average. He scored 321 points with nine games of 20 or more points and scored in double-figures with at least 11 points in all 16 games he played in for the month. Caron quickly made his mark on the Top 5 of the all-time HEAT rookie list in free-throw percentage (1st), steals (2nd), free-throws made (1st), free-throw attempts (2nd), minutes (1st) and offensive rebounds (3rd ). He moved into first place on the all-time HEAT rookie-scoring list after his 19-point effort on versus Washington on April 11.

Brian Grant stood out with the team, continuing his play by scoring and rebounding. Grant recorded 31 double-doubles on the season. His last one of the season came, when he pulled down 10 rebounds and scored 16 points versus Toronto on April 8, 2003. On March 8th versus the Denver Nuggets HEAT center Brian Grant recorded his 26th double-double of the season after scoring 16 points and pulling down 16 rebounds. That double-double marked the first time in his career, that he recorded six consecutive double-doubles and the third time during the 2002-03 season, that he recorded at least five consecutive double-doubles. He recorded 79 double-doubles with the team and 152 over his NBA career. Grant climbed to fourth all-time on the Miamis double-doubles list, 19 behind Grant Long for third place who recorded 97 total. He also recorded 46 double-figure rebounding games.

HEAT head coach Pat Riley recorded his 1,100th career victory on Jan. 22, 2003 versus the Phoenix Suns. He recorded his first win on Nov. 20, 1981 after his then Lakers team defeated the San Antonio Spurs 136-116 in Los Angeles. He recorded his 500th win at Indiana on Jan. 24, 1990, 120-111 and his 1,000th win versus Orlando on Nov. 2, 2000.