Our series on the four jerseys fans of every NBA team continues today. It’s Southeast Division week, and today we’re focusing on the Miami Heat. Remember, we’re not just going to list off four popular players in team history. We know that when you’re wearing a jersey, you’re going for a “look.” So every day we’re going to tell you the jersey you’ve got to have, the jersey you can’t go wrong with (in case you can’t find the first one), the jersey that will make people say “Oh, that’s awesome,” and the joke jersey that will have everyone laughing.
In keeping with tradition, we’re turning today over to our resident Heat expert. With that, we turn it over to our own Surya Fernandez, the man behind Hot Hot Hoops.
After an excruciatingly slow start to their franchise that saw the Miami Heat lose their first 17 games while playing in the Midwest Division in the Western Conference, the franchise found its groove with Micky Arison and Pat Riley leading the way since the mid 90s. In 23 seasons the Heat have only missed the playoffs 8 times while their rivals the New York Knicks have missed that many since the 2001-2002 (and have gone 0-8 in their only two appearances in the postseason).
Despite never winning the lottery and not being known for consistently mining star talent via the draft and overseas, the Heat and Riley have certainly made big splashes through trades and free agency. Because of this, they boast a treasure trove of interesting names to have graced the back of their jerseys over the years despite their relatively short time of existence. You have superstars such as Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning. But you also have the Alec Kesslers and Wang Zhizhis of the world that won’t soon be forgotten by diehard Heat fans.
With just four jerseys to choose, it’s clear that some hard choices were going to have to be made…
Gotta have:
Dwyane Wade — Riley originally wanted to draft Chris Kaman with the fifth pick in a heavily-hyped ’03 lottery. Thankfully, he was persuaded otherwise and the greatest player in franchise history was soon drafted instead. Wade’s play on the court immediately endeared him to fans with the game-winning shot as a rookie against the Hornets in the first round of the playoffs. After leading the team to their first championship in 2006, any Heat fan who didn’t have his jersey already would have one by then. By snubbing his hometown team the Chicago Bulls in free agency last year and recruiting LeBron and Chris Bosh to join him in Miami, Wade somehow topped himself.
Can’t go wrong with:
Alonzo Mourning — Soon after Riley arrived in Miami, he immediately extracted Mourning from the Hornets, sacrificing fan-favorite Glen Rice in the process. Alonzo quickly made fans forget about Rice as a defensive anchor for a new style of play masterminded by Riley. His kidney ailment in his prime set the Heat back just as it appeared they could make a run for the NBA Finals for many years in the post-Jordan era but his invaluable contribution during the ’06 championship run was the swan song to his career. No surprise that he was the first Heat player to have his number retired and deservedly so. #33 is another must-have Heat jersey to honor the player, his legacy and his still-ongoing commitment to the franchise.
“Oh, That’s Cool”:
Keith Askins — There are certainly a ton of good choices here but in the end I was very close to picking Rony Seikely, the Heat’s first star player, in this category. While he certainly would be a good choice, I’m going with Keith Askins here. The undrafted defensive and corner 3-point specialist spent his entire career with the Heat and swiftly moved over to the coaching staff after retirement. If you’re wearing an Askins jersey, just like I spotted a few Heat fans doing through last season’s postseason run, then you’ve earned my respect as a true Heat fan.
“Oh, That’s Funny”:
Harold Miner — If I thought Juwan Howard’s name had actually made it onto a retail Heat jersey back in 1996 then this would have been a no-brainer. As it stands, I’m just going to have to go with “Baby Jordan”. This was another jersey I was amused to spot at the AAA last season, during the NBA Finals no less, and any Heat fan with a Harold Miner jersey is a friend of mine. If they also own a Smush Parker jersey, they can be my best friend too.
There you have it. The four jerseys Heat fans have got to have. Disagree with us? Let us know who we missed in the comments.
Previous jerseys:
Atlantic Division: Boston, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto
Central Division: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee
Southeast Division: Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando
Tomorrow: The Washington Wizards
