Who is the best Miami Heat player of all time?

Since the inception of the Miami Heat in the year 1988, the team has made it through the NBA Finals a total of six times and won three championships. Well, the Best Miami Heat players of all time make this success even better and are hence good enough to start one of their dynasties. The Miami Heat team is one of the most successful of all the recent NBA expansion teams. Although it took four years for the team to make its first impression in the playoffs, Miami has made up for lost time and made it worth the wait. With the best Miami Heat players, the team can touch any height is what was always believed.

In the year 2003, when the team drafted Dwyane Wade, it helped with providing the foundation for the most successful period in the history of the Miami Heat. After the drafting of Wade, the team traded for Shaquille O’Neal, and they together made a duo that helped the Miami Heat win its first NBA title in the year 2006. The Miami Heat team went on drafting great players, leading them to have one of the best team players ever. As long as the best Miami Heat players of all time, in history can stay healthy, the sky will be the limit for the team. These players have the ability in them and can be considered the best of all time if they continue to win championships. Below is a list of the Greatest Miami Heat players of all time.

10 Best Players of Miami Heat

1. Dwayne Wade

The greatest Heat player in the history of Miami heat is Dwayne Wade, even though what James did during his four seasons was impressive. Wade won three titles and played in five NBA Finals In 15 seasons, which included two stints. In his 15 seasons, Wade also made the All-Star team a total of 15 times. In the year 2009, he made the All-NBA squad eight times while winning a scoring title.

With the joining of James and Bosh to the Miami Heat, it meant that the Heat could add to their championship trophy case. With that being said, Wade proved that he didn’t need anyone to win a championship. In his third season, he was the 2006 Finals MVP. Well, Dwayne has won several awards besides the ones mentioned above that including him winning an NBA Championship thrice in the years 2006, 2012, and 2013, He has also been an All-Star for thirteen-time from the years 2005-to 2016, and 2019. He also won the award for an All-Star Game MVP and twice an All-NBA First Team.

2. Lebron James

James and his performance in four seasons with the Heat are just legendary. He turned into a villain when he left the Cavaliers to join the team Miami Heat. Well, he was said to be hated by many. Although not in Miami, he helped the Heat win two titles and make four appearances in the Finals. Each season, he became an All-Star and an All-NBA First Team selection as well. Besides all this, he was also a top defensive player in the league. Well, this is what makes him the MVP in back-to-back seasons in the year 2012 and the year 2013. 

James remains the highest-yielding player in the history of the team, as his records are 38.0 minutes and 26.9 points per game. It is rightly said that the Miami Heat and James needed each other and their partnership with each other is what benefited both parties significantly.

3. Alonzo Mourning

Mourning is one rank above Shaquille as he achieved just a few awards more. Mourning was the most important part of the 2006 championship team along with Shaquille. The team was ruled by Mourning before O’Neal joined the Heat. Alonzo was a well-respected defensive talent that won two Defensive Player of the Year Awards and hence his voice in the locker room was the most powerful one of all.

Mourning has come through a lot of achievements and he ranks top-3 in games, minutes, field goals, two-point field goals, free throws, rebounds, and points. He has a record of owning 2.7 Heat blocks and is said to be owning the team record for the most blocks. Mourning also ranks third in offensive, defensive, and total win shares.

4. Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal has helped the Miami Heat elevate to the top, in four seasons. The team needed someone with a spirit of championship blood as they had a young star. Well, after parting ways with the Lakers, O’Neal as the second-best player on the field, helped the Miami Heat win a championship during his second season. Even then, the Heat did not get past the Mavericks in the year 2006 NBA Finals without O’Neal being in the middle.

While O’Neal played on the team he was an All-Star and All-NBA talent. O’Neal played with the Miami Heat for 4 years, from the year 2004 to 2006. His awards include, him being an NBA Champion in year 2006, along with having a three-time All-Star from the year 2005- to 2007. He was also a two-time All-NBA First Team from his second year on the team from the year 2005 to 2006.

5. Jimmy Butler

This year Butler is completing his third season with the Miami Heat and has already owned the most triple-doubles in the history of the team with 11. In his first season, he also took the team to the NBA Finals. Well, the team had taken a chance on Butler, and their decision of taking him paid off. The team has a brave defensive force to consider with Butler being the face of the franchise, which is currently making another run to the NBA Finals. 

With Butler leading the path towards success, the Heat claimed the No. 1 seed during this past season. While his 20.9 points per game with the Heat ranks third behind two superstars, he already owns the record for all-time steals per game at 1.8. If Butler manages to win a championship in Miami, he would quicken the process of placing himself among the top-3 Heat’s best players of all time.

6. Tim Hardaway

At the moment, Hardaway is the best three-point shooter in the history of the Miami Heat. In a period when Michael Jordan was one of the best scorers in the league, Tim was a three-time All-NBA player and a two-time All-Star too.

Hardaway owns the record for assist percentage, when he played, he assisted over 40% of the team’s offense. Well, nobody knew that in the late ’90s, Hardaway played a game similar to Steph Curry. Although Curry took the game to the next level, Hardaway stills deserve to stand as one of the best Miami Heat players ever. He played with the team for six-year from the year 1996 to 2001. He won a couple of awards while he played with the Heat, which include him being an All-Star twice in the year 1997 and the year 1998. Hardaway was also an All-NBA First Team in the year 1997 and won an All-NBA Second Team two times in the year 1998 and the year 1999

7. Chris Bosh

Bosh was one among the third member of the big three that had helped the Heat make it to the NBA Finals each season from the year 2011 to 2014. He also played a huge role in helping the Heat win the championship in the year 2013.

Bosh had to retire early as he was forced to do so from the league due to blood clots. Well, if he did play out his contract, he would have ranked higher in the all-time stats. If Bosh did not get retired he’d rank top-5 in points. He would also have passed LeBron and joined the 9,000 career point club. Well, The heat probably does not have two championships without Bosh being a part of the team. Although he retired early, he played with the Miami heat for 7 years from the year 2010 to 2017. He was a two-time NBA Champion, and a six-time 6x All-Star.

8. Glen Rice

Glen Rice is the one to score the third-most points in the history of the team. Rice was also dependable, as he played in the top 10 for games played and minutes. 

Rice was one of the first true stars in Miami, while he doesn’t have any particular records that stand out. He led the team in points when he left Miami Heat, and Alonzo Mourning could barely beat him by 200 points. Glen Rice played with Miami Heat for a period of 6 years from 1989 to the year 1995. In his entire career as a basketball player, he only won an All-Rookie Second Team in the year 2014.

9. Udonis Haslem

Udonis Haslem has spent nearly two decades’ worth of his time with the Heat. Haslem is considered the team leader in rebounds as he is not regarded as an All-Star talent. He was the one who started and led the team towards its championship of the year 2006. He was also an important contributor to the year 2012 and the year 2013 title teams. 

Haslem has always continued to give the Heat a lot of inspiration as a player and a coach. He has the record to back it up. Well, Haslem knows what it takes to win and that helped the Heat to see the face of success for nearly 20 years. He has been a part of the team for 19 years starting from 2004 and is currently playing. He is been recognized with two awards which include a three-time NBA Champion and an All-Rookie Second Team.

10. Bam Adebayo

Adebayo is already establishing a legacy in his five seasons with the Heat. In the year 2020, he made the NBA Finals as one of the league’s top two-way players. He has also made the All-Defensive team two times and is an All-Star caliber player. Adebayo currently ranks seventh all-time in the history of the team in rebounds. He just dribbled into the top 10 for two-point field goals. Bam is also wrapped for third in triple-doubles and has plenty of important years to ultimately overtake that record. He also ranks in the top 10 for offensive win shares and total win shares. This is what makes him a part of the top 10 best Miami Heat players of all time.

Conclusion

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