It’s 2006, and a young star named Dwayne Wade has just won the Miami Heat their first-ever NBA Championship. Fast forward to 2010, when Lebron James announced that he would be leaving his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat alongside All-Star big man Chris Bosh and Wade. The Heat got back to the Finals for the first time since 2006, and everyone expected them to win. However, the Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA by beating this super-team in 6 games to win the first championship in franchise history. The Heat were back once again in the NBA Finals in 2012, dominating the young OKC Thunder team to win the NBA Championship. In 2013, The Heat found themselves back in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. After a crazy comeback in game 6 featuring an all-time great clutch three-pointer by Ray Allen, the Miami Heat were able to win game 7, becoming back-to-back NBA Champions. The Miami Heat once again earned a spot in the NBA Finals in 2014, with a chance at the first three-peat since the Kobe-Shaq Lakers. However, this time the Spurs dominated the Heat in 5 games to win their 5th NBA championship. During the 2014-15 offseason, Lebron James would decide to go back to Cleveland, and Dwayne Wade would sign with his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls, ultimately bringing an end to the Miami Heat dynasty.

After the 2014 year, the Miami Heat slipped into mediocrity, becoming a team of the past. It was hard for Heat fans to see the team that was winning championships now fight to be the last seed in the playoffs. A beacon of hope was finally shined on the Heat when All-Star Jimmy Butler announced that he would sign with the team. Jimmy Butler has had a long hard road to get where he is. He grew up with no father, and his mother kicked him out of the house when he was 13 years old. He was taken in by a friend and his family. That friend is Jordan Leslie of the Cleveland Browns. Butler was an unranked recruit out of high school and attended a junior college. He eventually transferred to Marquette, where he had an excellent senior season. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 30th pick of the draft.

On top of that, the Heat signed Duncan Robinson, one of the best shooters in Michigan basketball history. Robinson was also a very lowly rated prospect and attended Williams College to play basketball, a D-III school. After one year, he transferred to Michigan and became one of the best shooters in the program’s history. They also acquired Tyler Herro out of Kentucky, who is another great shooter. 

During the regular season, it looked like the Heat were going to have a decent year and playoff seeding until the pandemic hit. The season was postponed, and it appeared that there would be no playoffs, but then the NBA announced that they would host the playoffs at Disney World in Orlando. The setup would be a bubble where only players, coaches, employees, and NBA officials would be allowed along with few reporters. The Heat played the Indiana Pacers in the first round and swept them 4-0. They then played the Milwaukee Bucks, who were the heavy favorites to win the Eastern Conference. The Heat shocked the world and beat them in only 5 games. The Heat were now in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the days of the dynasty with LeBron, Wade, and Bosh. They faced up against the Boston Celtics and won in 6 games to advance to the Finals. Awaiting the Heat were the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Anthony Davis and non-other than old Heat member, LeBron James. The Lakers would take an immediate 2-0 lead, but the Heat showed that they were still in the series by winning game three. The Lakers won game four, but the Heat won game five, making the series 3-2. However, the Lakers were too inspired and motivated to win because of the death of Kobe Bryant, winning the NBA title in a game 6 win. Even though the Miami Heat lost in the Finals, this team has brought new hope to fans that the story may not be over just yet.

Hollinger, John. “Hollinger: Heat Culture 2.0 Has Miami in Great Shape. Will It Matter?” The Athletic, The Athletic, 21 Sept. 2020, theathletic.com/2081895/2020/09/21/hollinger-heat-culture-2-0-has-miami-in-great-shape-will-it-matter/?article_source=search. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

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Caricato, James. “Jimmy Butler’s Story: From a Homeless Kid to an NBA All-Star.” Playmaker HQ, 26 July 2019, homeofplaymakers.com/sports/basketball/jimmy-butlers-story-from-a-homeless-kid-to-an-nba-all-star/. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

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Wilson, Kenneth. “Miami Heat: Brian Windhorst Talks about How They Discovered Duncan Robinson.” All U Can Heat, FanSided, 13 Aug. 2020, allucanheat.com/2020/08/13/miami-heat-windhorst-duncan-robinson/#:~:text=Yep%2C%20if%20you%20guessed%20Duncan,as%20an%20undrafted%20free%20agent. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.