By Angel Rassi
October 31, 2021
Four former Heat players were named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, Ray Allen, Lebron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Dwyane Wade. We are going to take a look at their time on the Heat and their impact while on the team.
Ray Allen
Even though Ray Allen’s time on the Heat was short, it was memorable. He has one of the most memorable, if not the most memorable moment in Miami Heat history when he made “The Shot.”
Ray Allen signed with the Heat during the 2012 off-season. In his first year with Miami, he played in 79 games, coming off the bench in all of them. He averaged 10.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.7 APG while playing an average of 25.8 MPG. He shot 44.9% from the field, 41.9% from three, and 88.6% at the free-throw line.
During his second year with the Heat in the 2013-2014 season Allen played in 73 games while starting in nine of them. His points per game went down while his rebounds and assists per game went up. He averaged 9.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 2.0 APG while averaging 26.5 MPG. Allen shot 44.2% from the field, 37.5% from behind the three-point line, and 90.5% when shooting a free throw.
Allen’s two years on the Heat were his final years as a player. His shining moment as a member of the Heat was in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. Allen made a game-tying three with 5.2 seconds on the clock in a win or go home game, which caused the game to go into overtime in which the Heat won and then won game 7 to win the championship. Heat fans replay that moment and Mike Breen’s call of the play in their head to this day. “Rebound Bosh, back out to Allen, his three-pointer, bang!”
Lebron James
When Lebron James joined Miami in the summer of 2010 he promised to bring numerous titles to Miami. Even though it wasn’t the amount he hoped for, James along with the rest of The Big 3 and the Heat were able to bring two titles to Miami.
James made his announcement of joining Miami in 2010, everyone in Miami was ecstatic because they knew The Big 3 had a great chance at bringing numerous championships to Miami. James spent four seasons on the Heat and achieved various accolades in the Heat uniform.
In his first season with the Heat James 26.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 7.0 APG. He shot 51% from the field, 33% from behind the three-point line, and 75.9% from the free-throw line. James was second in the league when it came to PPG for the season, just behind Kevin Durant. James also led the league in win shares. James and The Big 3 led the Heat to the NBA Finals where they lost in six games to the Dirk-led Dallas Mavericks.
In the following season, James averaged 27.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 6.2 APG. His shooting improved in all aspects as he went 53.1% from the field, 36.2% from three, and 77.1% at the free-throw line. He ended up third in the league in PPG, just behind Durant and Kobe Bryant. James also led the league in win shares again. James also won his first MVP award on the Heat, his third overall. To top it all off, the Heat made the Finals for the second year in a row and they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games. James won his first Finals MVP.
His third year with the Heat was just like his first two, another great year. James averaged 26.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 7.3 APG. He shot 56.5% from the field, 40.6% from behind the arc, and 75.3% from the free-throw line. He ended the season fourth in PPG, behind Carmelo Anthony, Durant, and Bryant. He led the league in win shares for the third straight year as a member of the Heat. James also won his second MVP Award as a Heat, fourth overall. The Heat made it to the Finals for a third straight year, where they beat the Spurs in seven games. James also took home his second Finals MVP Award.
In his final year on the Heat, James scored 27.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 6.3 APG. James shot 56.7% from the field, 37.9% from beyond the arc, and 75.0% from the free-throw line. James finished again in the top three in PPG for the season, just behind Durant and Anthony. The Heat made it back to the NBA Finals for the fourth straight year but lost to the Spurs in five games.
In the offseason James decided to go back to play for his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his four years with the Heat James was a four-time All Star, four All-NBA First Team, three All-NBA Defensive First Team, helped lead the Heat to four straight finals, while winning two regular season MVP Awards and two Finals MVP Awards.
Shaquille O’Neal
Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal joined the Heat during the summer of 2004 when he was traded by the Lakers for Caron Butler, Brain Grant, Lamar Odom, a 2006 first round pick, and a 2007 second round pick. During his first season with Miami he scored 22.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.3 BPG. He shot a league best 60.1% from the field and 46.1% from the free-throw line. He’s known historically as one of the worst free-throw shooters, so much so that the Hack-A-Shaq was created. In the Hack-A-Shaq the opposing team purposely fouls Shaq so he has to go to the line and attempt his shots. The Heat made the 2005 playoffs, where they swept the Nets and the Wizards in the first two rounds, but lost to the Pistons in seven in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the following year O’Neal scored 20.0 PPG, while grabbing 9.2 RPG, with 1.9 APG, and 1.8 BPG. He scored a league best for the second year in a row as a member of the Heat, when he shot 60.0% from the field and he shot 46.1% at the free-throw line. The Heat made the playoffs again and this time made the Finals after defeating the Bulls, Nets, and Pistons on their way there. In the Finals the Heat beat the Mavericks in 6 after trailing behind 2-0.
In his third year with the Heat, 'Diesel’ averaged 17.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.4 BPG. O’Neal shot 59.1% from the field and a career-worse 42.2% from the free-throw line. He only played in 40 regular season games due to a left knee surgery to fix a torn cartilage. The Heat made the playoffs for a third straight year with O’Neal on the team, however, they got swept by the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.
In his final season with the Heat, O’Neal averaged 14.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.4 APG, and 1.6 BPG in 33 games with Miami. He also shot 58.1% from the field and 49.4% at the line in his 33 games with the Heat. Halfway through the season O’Neal was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Marcus Banks and Shawn Marion in return.
O’Neal led the league in FG percentage twice, an All-Star three times, made two All-NBA First Team, helped lead the Heat to three playoff appearances, and won a championship while on the Heat. He also got his jersey number retired by the Heat. His time on the Heat helped to improve his Hall of Fame resume.
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade was drafted by the Heat fifth overall in the 2003 NBA Draft. Wade spent 15 seasons on the Heat. He signed with the Bulls in the summer of 2016, but was traded back to the Heat from the Cavaliers, halfway through the 2018 season. Wade finished his career with the Heat.
During his 15 seasons with the Heat Wade averaged 22.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, and 1.5 SPG. He shot 48.3% from the field, 29.0% from beyond the arc, and 76.5% from the line while on the Heat.
In his 15 seasons with the Heat, he had many accolades. Wade led in points per game during the 2008 - 2009 season, when he averaged 30.2 PPG. He led the Heat to 12 Playoff appearances, five Finals appearances, and 3 Finals wins. Wade was a 13-time All-Star, two All-NBA First Team, three All-NBA Second Team, three All-NBA Third Team, three All-NBA Defensive Second Team, and one-time Finals MVP.
Wade will go down as one of Miami's Best Athletes and the Best Heat Player in History.
Angel Rassi is the editor in chief and owner of Anything Can Happen In Sports. To contact him for any questions or information on a story, email arassi2018@gmail.com or tweet him @arassi2000.
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