Miamis still got

the Heat
Student: Stan MihaiBeniamin
Teacher: Bosco Viviana

Foreword
Described as the "only great city of the world that started as a
fantasy," Miami, with its subtropical climate, naturally protected harbor,
and spectacular beaches, has traditionally been a haven for tourists and
retirees. Since the late 1980s, however, the city has sustained
unprecedented growth and, while transforming its image, has emerged as
a center of international finance and commerce and as a regional center
for Latin American and Haitian art.
But the real reason why I am writing about Miami is the basketball
team, Miami Heat, a great team, inspiring me to play this game. Players
determination to get better and win championships, has challenged me to
play this sport, a great way of exercise and a great way to have fun with
friends and possibly make some new ones. Basketball is a great way to
get your mind off things and it's also a great way to express yourself.
Furthermore, my passion for basketball was always there. I was
watching games since I was a child, dreaming that I would become a
great basketball player in the future. Lebron James and Dwyane Wade
have always inspired me to play and their determination proved to me
that winning has its sacrifices. The pain and the determination is the price
of winning, not only in basketball, but also in life.
Although other sports may be very fun and enjoyable, I believe that
basketball is truly the best, most exciting sport to play. In many aspects, it
is the greatest and has been a very popular sport for many years. The
game has made me believe that basketball is not just a sport, it is a
lifestyle.

Contents
Foreword......................................................1
Contents......................................................2
Introduction to Miami...................................3
History....................................................4
Entertainment and performing arts..........6
Museums and art.....................................7
Cityscape.....................................................8
Miami Heat...................................................9
Franchise history...................................10
1988-2003: Early years in Miami.........10
1995-2003: Title hopefuls...................10
2003-present: Dwyane Wade era........11
2005-06 Championship season...........12
2006-10: Post-championship struggles
.........................................................12
2010-2014: The Big 3 Era...................13
2014present: Post-Big 3 era..............17
Best Players in Miami Heat History.........18
Conclusion.................................................19
Bibliography...............................................20
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Introduction to
Miami
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern
Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County being the
principal, central, and most populous city of the Miami metropolitan
area, and the most populous metropolis in the Southeastern United
States after Washington, D.C. According to the U.S. Census Bureau,
Miami's metro area is the eighth most populous and fourth-largest
urban area in the United States, with a population of around 5.5
million.
Miami is a major center and a leader in finance, commerce,
culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. Thus,
in 2012, Miami was classified as an Alpha-World City in the World
Cities Study Groups inventory.

History

The Miami area was inhabited for thousands of years by

indigenous cultures. The Tequestas occupied the area for a thousand
years before encountering Europeans. An Indian village of hundreds
of people dating to 500-600 B.C. was located at the mouth of the
Miami River.
In 1566 the explorer, Pedro Menndez de Avils, claimed it
for Spain. A Spanish mission was constructed one year later in 1567.
Spain and Great Britain successively "controlled" Florida, and Spain
ceded it to the United States in 1821. In 1836, the US builtFort
Dallas as part of its development of the Florida Territory and attempt
to suppress and remove the Seminole. The Miami area subsequently
became a site of fighting during the Second Seminole War.
Miami is noted as "the only major city in the United States
conceived by a woman, Julia Tuttle", a local citrus grower and a

wealthy Cleveland native. The Miami area was better known as

"Biscayne Bay Country" in the early years of its growth. In the late
19th century, reports described the area as a promising wilderness.
The area was also characterized as "one of the finest building sites in
Florida." The Great Freeze of 189495 hastened Miami's growth, as
the crops of the Miami area were the only ones in Florida that
survived. Julia Tuttle subsequently convinced Henry Flagler, a
railroad tycoon, to expand his Florida East Coast Railway to the
region, for which she became known as "the mother of
Miami." Miami was officially incorporated as a city on July 28, 1896
with a population of just over 300. It was named for the
nearby Miami River, derived from Mayaimi, the historic name
of Lake Okeechobee.
During the early 20th century, northerners were attracted to the
city, and Miami prospered during the 1920s with an increase in
population and infrastructure. The collapse of the Florida land boom
of the 1920s, the 1926 Miami Hurricane, and the Great Depression in
the 1930s slowed development. When World War II began, Miami,
well-situated on the southern coast of Florida, became a base for US
defense against German submarines. The war brought an increase in
Miami's population; by 1940, 172, 172 people lived in the city.
After Fidel Castro rose to power in Cuba in 1959, many
wealthy Cubans sought refuge in Miami, further increasing the
population. The city developed businesses and cultural amenities as
part of the New South. In the 1980s and 1990s, South Florida
weathered social problems related to drug wars, immigration from
Haiti and Latin America, and the widespread destruction of Hurricane
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Andrew. Racial and cultural tensions were sometimes sparked, but

the city developed in the latter half of the 20th century as a major
international, financial, and cultural center. It is the second-largest
U.S. city (after El Paso, Texas) with a Spanish-speaking majority, and
the largest city with a Cuban-American plurality.
Miami and its metropolitan area grew from just over one
thousand residents to nearly five and a half million residents in just
110 years (18962006). The city's nickname, The Magic City, comes
from this rapid growth. Winter visitors remarked that the city grew so
much from one year to the next that it was like magic.
Entertainment and performing arts

In addition to such annual festivals like Calle Ocho Festival and

Carnaval Miami, Miami is home to many entertainment venues,
theaters, museums, parks and performing arts centers. The newest
addition to the Miami arts scene is the Adrienne Arsht Center for the
Performing Arts, the second-largest performing arts center in the
United States after the Lincoln Center in New York City, and is the
home of the Florida Grand Opera. Within it are the Ziff Ballet Opera
House, the center's largest venue, the Knight Concert Hall, the
Carnival Studio Theater and the Peacock Rehearsal Studio. The
center attracts many large-scale operas, ballets, concerts, and
musicals from around the world and is Florida's grandest performing
arts center.

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

The city attracts a large number of musicians, singers, actors,
dancers, and orchestral players. Miami has numerous orchestras,
symphonies and performing art conservatories. Some of these include
the Florida Grand Opera, FIU School of Music, Frost School of
Music, Miami City Ballet, Miami Conservatory, Miami Wind
Symphony, New World School of the Arts, New World Symphony
Orchestra, as well as the music, theater and art schools of the city's
many universities and schools.
Miami is also a major fashion center, home to models and some
of the top modeling agencies in the world. Miami is also host to many
fashion shows and events, including the annual Miami Fashion
Week and the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami held in
the Wynwood Art District.
Museums and art

The city is home to numerous museums as well, many of which

are in Downtown. These include the Frost Art Museum, Historical
Museum of Southern Florida, Miami Art Museum, Miami Children's
Museum, Miami Science Museum, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens,
and the Miami-Dade Cultural Center, home of the Miami Main
Library. Miami is also the home of the world's largest art exhibition,
dubbed the "Olympics of Art", Art Basel Miami. The event is held
annually in December, and attracts thousands of visitors from around
the world.

Cityscape

Downtown Miami Skyline as seen from the Rusty Pelican restaurant

on Virginia Key.

Downtown Miami skyline as seen from South Beach.

Downtown Miami skyline as seen from the Port of Miami.

Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is an American professional basketball team
based in Miami, Florida. The team is a member of the Southeast
Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball
Association (NBA). They play their home games at the American
Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami. The team owner is Micky
Arison, who also owns cruise-ship giant Carnival Corporation. The
team president and de facto general manager is Pat Riley, and the
head coach is Erik Spoelstra. The mascot of the team is Burnie, an
anthropomorphic fireball.
Formed in 1988 as one of the NBA's four expansion franchises,
the Heat have won three league championships (in 2006,
2012 and 2013), five conference titles and 11 division titles. From
February 3 to March 27, 2013, the Heat won 27 games in a row, the
second-longest streak in NBA history (after the Los Angeles Lakers'

33 wins). In 2013, Forbes valued the Heat at $625 million, sixthmost-valuable among NBA franchises.
The Heat are not related to the Miami Floridians, an ABA team
in the early 1970s, although the Heat have occasionally paid tribute to
the older franchise by wearing a replica version of the Floridians'
uniforms for the NBA's "Hardwood Classics Nights" during the
200506 and 201112 seasons.

Franchise history
1988-2003: Early years in Miami

An expansion team formed in 1988, the Miami Heat began their

early years with much mediocrity, only making the playoffs two
times in their first eight years and falling in the first round both times.
1995-2003: Title hopefuls

Upon the purchasing of the franchise by Micky Arison in

1995, Pat Riley was brought in as the team president and head coach.
Riley acquired center Alonzo Mourning and point guard Tim
Hardaway to serve as the centerpiece for the team, transforming
Miami into a championship contender throughout the late 1990s.
With them they also brought in a new team trainer to work on
shooting Cody Posselt. The Heat underwent a dramatic turnaround in
the 199697 season, improving to a 6121 record a franchise record
at the time, and currently second-best in team history. That same year,
Miami earned the moniker of "Road Warriors" for its remarkable 32
9 record on the road. On the backs of Hardaway and Mourning, the
Heat achieved their first two victories in the playoffs, making it to the
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Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls before bowing out in

five games. Their biggest rivals of the time were the New York
Knicks, Riley's former team, who would eliminate the Heat in the
playoffs from 1998 through 2000. The dominance of the Michael
Jordan-led Bulls would also have been a factor preventing the Heat
from advancing past the Conference Finals in that era. A period of
mediocrity followed shortly after, highlighted by missing the playoffs
altogether in 2002 and 2003.

2003-present: Dwyane Wade era

In the 2003 NBA Draft, with the fifth overall pick, Miami
selected shooting guard Dwyane Wade out of Marquette. Free-agent
swing-man Lamar Odom was signed from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Just prior to the start of the 0304 season, Riley stepped down as
head coach to focus on rebuilding the Heat, promoting Stan Van
Gundy to the position of head coach. Behind Van Gundy's leadership,
Wade's stellar rookie year and Odom's break out season, the Heat
made the 2004 NBA Playoffs, beating the New Orleans Hornets 43
in the 1st round and losing to the Indiana Pacers 42 in the 2nd
round. In the offseason, Riley engineered a summer blockbuster trade
for Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers. Alonzo
Mourning returned to the Heat in the same season, serving as a
backup to O'Neal. Returning as championship contenders, Miami
finished with a 5923 record, consequently garnering the first overall
seed in the Eastern Conference. Sweeping through the first round and
the semifinals, Miami went back to the Conference Finals for the first
time in eight years, where it met the defending champion Detroit
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Pistons. Despite taking a 32 lead, Miami lost Wade to injury for

Game 6. It would go on to lose Game 7 at home despite Wade's
return.
2005-06 Championship season

In the summer of 2005, Riley brought in veteran free

agents Antoine Walker, James Posey, Jason Williams, and Gary
Payton. After a sub-par 1110 start to the 0506 season, Riley
relieved Van Gundy of his duties and took back the head coaching
job. The Heat made it to the Conference Finals in 2006 and avenged
its loss against the Pistons, winning the series 42. Making its
first NBA Finals appearance, they matched up against the Dallas
Mavericks, who won the first two games in Dallas in routs. On the
back of Dwyane Wade, the Heat won the next four games, capturing
its first ever championship. Wade took the Finals MVP award for his
efforts throughout the finals.
2006-10: Post-championship struggles

A four-year tenure of post-title struggles befell the Heat from

2007 through 2010, including a 40 sweep by the Chicago Bulls in
the 1st round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. In the 0708 season, Wade
was plagued by injuries, prompting Miami to hit rock bottom with a
league worst 1567 record. O'Neal was traded to Phoenix midway
through the season. Riley resigned as head coach following the
season, but retained his position as team president. Longtime
assistant Erik Spoelstra was promoted to head coach. A healthy and
re-invigorated Wade led the Heat to 43 wins in 2009 and 47 wins
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2010, making the playoffs in both years, though they would lose 43
in 2009 and 41 in 2010. Wade was the scoring champion in 2009
and the NBA All-Star MVP in 2010.
2010-2014: The Big 3 Era

"The Big 3"

LeBron James

Chris Bosh

Dwyane Wade

Entering the 20102011 season with nearly $48 million in salary

cap space, the Heat caused a major power shift during the blockbuster
2010 NBA Free Agency, adding Chris Bosh and LeBron James to
local superstar Dwyane Wade, starting the "Big 3" era. However, the
Heat got off to a 98 start. After a "players only" meeting, the team
pulled together. The Heat finished with a 5824 record and the 2nd
seed. In the much anticipated 2011 NBA Playoffs, Miami defeated
the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, Boston Celtics in the
Conference Semifinals, and Bulls in the Conference Finals, all in 5
games. The Heat reached the 2011 NBA Finals for the first time since
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2006, in a rematch against the Dallas Mavericks. After taking a 21

series lead, the Heat collapsed, as they would lose the final three
games to the Mavericks. After the second NBA Lockout ended, the
Heat would improve their roster by signing veteran Shane Battier.
In the shortened 201112 season, the Heat got off to a 277
start. However, they would struggle for the second half of the season,
going 1913. The Heat finished 4620, earning the second seed in the
east for the NBA Playoffs. Entering the first round, they took a 30
lead against the New York Knicks, but like their previous series with
the Sixers, weren't able to close them out in Game 4. A victory in
Game 5 ultimately defeated New York, and the Heat advanced to the
second round versus the Indiana Pacers. After losing Game 2 at home
and Game 3 at Indiana, many criticized Dwyane Wade's lackluster
performance in Game 3, bringing attention to the fact that he got into
a verbal argument with Spoelstra. However, with Wade visiting his
former college coach, the team overcame adversity and defeated the
Pacers in the next three games, with James and Wade often
combining for an average of 70 points to close out the Pacers. They
met the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, taking the
first two games, before losing the next three, including one home loss
where Bosh returned from the injury. However, on June 7, they took a
big road win at Boston beating the Celtics 9879 to tie the series 33;
James had a remarkable 45 points and 15 rebounds. The deciding
Game 7 was at Miami; although the Celtics largely dominated during
the first half, the second half saw several lead changes as both teams
went back and forth. The Heat eventually won 10188, reaching
the NBA Finals for the second straight year. In the much anticipated
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match-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Heat split the first
two games, winning Game 2 on the road, before sweeping the next
three at home. James was named the Finals MVP as he won his first
NBA championship.
On July 11, 2012, the Heat officially signed veterans Ray
Allen to a three-year deal and Rashard Lewis to a two-year deal. The
Heat would go on a 27-game winning streak, between February 3,
2013 and March 27, 2013. Defeating Orlando at the season finale set
the franchise record for 66 wins in a season. By the end of the season,
the Heat won 18 of its 19 road games, the best streak on the road to
end a season in the history of the NBA. The Heat went 171 in
March, becoming the first team to win 17 games in a single calendar
month in NBA history. The Heat ended with a franchise-best and
league-best 6616 record to take the 1st seed in the 2013 NBA
Playoffs. They swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and
defeated Chicago in five games before winning against the Indiana
Pacers in Game 7. Miami became the first Eastern Conference team
to reach the NBA Finals in three straight years since the Chicago
Bulls in the late 1990s. Miami lost Game 1 of the Finals on their
home floor in a close game that was decided by a last minute buzzer
beater by Tony Parker. The Heat went on to win Game 2 with a 335
run in the second half. The two teams continued to trade wins leading
up to Game 6 where the Spurs, up 10 heading in the 4th quarter, were
in position to close out the series and win the championship. James
went on to score 16 points in the period, outscoring the entire Spurs
squad by himself at one point, and put his team back into position to
win. The Heat went on to defeat the Spurs 9588 in Game 7 behind a
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37-point and 12 rebound performance from James and a 23-point and

10 rebound effort from Wade. Shane Battier also went off for 18
points behind 68 shooting from the 3-point line after having a
horrible shooting slump the entire post-season up to that point. The
Heat captured the NBA title once again for a second year in a row,
becoming the first team in the Eastern Conference to repeat as league
champions since the late 1990s Chicago Bulls. The series is widely
considered as a classic. James was named the NBA Finals MVP,
becoming the fifth player to win the award back-to-back along
with Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal,
and Hakeem Olajuwon and only the second player in NBA history to
win the Finals MVP and league MVP back-to-back along with
Jordan. Miami struggled throughout the 2013-14 season with the
extended absences of Dwyane Wade, who only played 54 games to
injury and ended on a 11-14 record entering the post-season. They
looked to 3-peat, as the Eastern Conference 2nd seeded 54-28 team,
and with the "Big 3" healthy. They went 12-3 in the first 3 rounds.
They swept the Charlotte Bobcats, 4-0. They then beat the Brooklyn
Nets 4-1. They went on to compete against the 1st seeded 5626 Indiana Pacers in the Conference Finals, in a rematch of the
previous year's Conference Finals. The Pacers were eliminated from
the playoffs for a third consecutive year by the Heat. They went to a
fourth consecutive Finals, and faced the Spurs once again. The first
two games in San Antonio were split but the Heat fell to the Spurs 41, failing to 3-peat.

16

2014present: Post-Big 3 era

On July 11, 2014, LeBron James announced on SI.com that after

opting out of the final year of his contract, he would leave the Heat
and return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Wade and Bosh
stayed in Miami, continuing without him. Like the Cavaliers in the
2010 off-season, the Heat focused on how it would maintain itself
without LeBron. Wade and Bosh were joined by returning stars Mario
Chalmers, Norris Cole, Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen and
former rivals Luol Deng and Danny Granger. The Heat also acquired
star rookies Shabazz Napier and James Ennis. Amid the departure of
James, the Heat's off-season was rather hopeful due to the
organization's handling of James' return to Cleveland. Also in 2015
they gained Goran Dragic and his younger brother Zoran Dragic.
After a long and brutal injury-ridden season which saw Chris
Bosh and Josh McRoberts sidelined, the Heat finished with a 37-45
record, the NBA's 10th worse record. They failed to make the
Playoffs, ending their four-year long reign as Eastern Conference
Champion. It also marked the second time in Wade's career ever since
2008 to miss the post-season. The Miami Heat would miss the
playoffs after making the previous year's Finals, becoming the first
team to do so since the 2004-05 Los Angeles Lakers. Miami had
qualified for the playoffs for six consecutive seasons before missing
this year, also reaching the NBA Finals four consecutive times.

17

18

Best Players in Miami Heat

History

19

Conclusion
Formed in 1988, though it took four years for the team to make
its first appearance in the playoffs, Miami Heat has more than made
up for the lost time. Under the leadership of Pat Riley, Miami has had
some of the best basketball players of all time on its roster. Beginning
with the acquisition of Alonzo Mourning from Charlotte, the Heat
have always had a superstar on its roster. While superstars are
generally the best players for the team, it doesn't always equal playoff
success.
Once the team drafted Dwyane Wade in 2003, it helped provide
the foundation for the most prosperous period in the team's history.
After Wade, the team traded for Shaquille O'Neal and together the
duo helped the Heat win its first NBA title in 2006. After a few years
clearing cap space, Miami landed the greatest free agent class in
NBA history when it signed LeBron James, the best current player in
the league and Chris Bosh. With Wade, James and Bosh, Miami went
to four NBA Finals, winning two of them. The sky is the limit for
Miami being the most successful of the recent NBA expansion teams.

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Bibliography

Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia

Forbes Teams Valuation List
NBA.com
USA Today
Sports Illustrated
http://www.ranker.com

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