Miami Heat

The Miami Heat are an NBA franchise in the Eastern Conference's Southeast Division. Starting play as an expansion franchise in 1988, the Heat are the youngest franchise to win an NBA title.

The Heat first made the playoffs in 1992 led by Glen Rice but really started to take off after hiring coach Pat Riley and acquiring Alonzo Mourning both in the summer of 1995. The Heat won their division the next year and regularly contended - without ever making it - for the NBA title until 2000.

Missing Mourning due to a life-threatening kidney disorder, the Heat went to rebuilding and suffered through a number of mediocre seasons. Under new coach Stan Van Gundy and with Lamar Odom and No.5 draft pick Dwyane Wade on board for the 2003-04 season, the surprising Heat advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

The franchise's fortunes dramatically changed that summer when they acquired superstar center Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers. Falling short in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference's Finals in 2005 against the Detroit Pistons, the Heat won it all in 2006, defeating Dirk Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks in six games behind Finals MVP Dwyane Wade.

This season, though, plagued by injuries, the Heat find themselves at the bottom of the league standings.

Created by: Ole Last edited by: Premier League