| 2010–11 Miami Heat season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Conference champions | |||
Division champions | |||
| Head coach | Erik Spoelstra | ||
| President | Pat Riley | ||
| Owner(s) | Micky Arison | ||
| Arena | American Airlines Arena | ||
| Results | |||
| Record | 58–24 (.707) | ||
| Place | Division: 1st (Southeast) Conference: 2nd (Eastern) | ||
| Playoff finish | NBA Finals (lost to Mavericks 2–4) | ||
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |||
| Local media | |||
| Television | Sun Sports | ||
| Radio | 790 The Ticket | ||
| |||
The 2010–11 Miami Heat season was the 23rd season of the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the regular season, the Heat finished first in the Southeast Division with 58–24 record, and made the NBA playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year as the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed (behind the Chicago Bulls).
Marked by the acquisition of perennial All-Stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh entering the 2010 NBA Free Agency period during the off-season, the Heat superteam opened the season with extraordinarily high expectations,[1][2] with many observers expecting a championship in the first year of the new lineup. With Bosh, James, and Wade having been ranked among the NBA's top players for many seasons in addition to being frequently sought-after big names looking to be courted by multiple teams during the 2010 NBA Free Agency signing spree at the time, team stars and 2003 draftees Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were predicted to potentially win an NBA championship in their first season together.[3] Though the 2010-11 Miami Heat advanced to the 2011 NBA Finals after beating the Philadelphia 76ers, defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, and the Chicago Bulls. The team fell short of their championship hopes by losing to the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games in the NBA Finals, in a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, which the Heat won in 6 games for their first championship.
Even though Miami's playoff run ended in disappointing fashion, the Heat nonetheless enjoyed a successful year, despite witnessing a sluggish 9–8 start to the regular season. They finished the regular season with 58 wins, won the Southeast Division, and entered the 2011 playoffs as the Eastern Conference's second seed. Pat Riley was named NBA Executive of the Year. Wade, James, and Bosh were all selected to the 2011 NBA All-Star Game, the most Heat players sent to an NBA All-Star game in franchise history. James earned All-NBA First Team honors, while Wade was bestowed with All-NBA Second Team honors.
The Miami Heat entered the 2010 NBA Free Agency period with nearly $46 million of salary cap space to spare, allowing the team to allocate enough financial resources to gain the ability to retain free agent and franchise player Dwyane Wade, as well as being able to pair him with two other perennial All-Stars and top-ranked NBA players at the time, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. According to Fox Sports Radio's Stephen A. Smith, speaking on his show just days after the NBA draft, the Heat were "highly likely" to sign all three players.[4] As James became an unrestricted free agent at 12:01 am EDT on July 1, 2010, his name circulated heavily during the 2010 Free Agency signing spree as he was courted by the New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat; all of whom in negotiations looking to potentially sign him. On July 7, 2010, Wade and Bosh both agreed to their finalized contractual terms with the Miami Heat. Then next day on July 8, 2010, James held an hour-long special to announce his decision on ESPN to commit to playing with the Heat.[5] Later that evening, the Heat announced the trade of Michael Beasley to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a pair of second round picks and cash considerations.[6] The three are called the SuperFriends by many sportswriters and commentators, most notably those for ESPN, because all three were taken in the top five of the 2003 NBA Draft and because they have become good friends over the years.[7]
On July 8, 2010, it became official that NBA superstars and gold medal-winning Beijing Olympic teammates LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh would be joining Miami. The Heat completed sign-and-trade deals, sending a total of four future first-round and two-second-round picks to the Cavaliers and Raptors for James and Bosh (both signing 6 years and $110.1 million contracts). Dwyane Wade re-signed with the Heat for $107.59 million for six years. All three stars have early termination clauses in their contracts, allowing them to become free agents again in the summer of 2014. The final year on all three deals, for 2015–16, is a player option.[8][9][10] The three made their debut at the 2010 Summer Heat Welcome Party at the American Airlines Arena on July 9, where they were introduced as The Three Kings by Heat play-by-play announcer and event co-host Eric Reid.[11] James predicted a dynasty for the Heat and alluded to multiple championships: "Not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven".[12][13] Howard Beck of The New York Times described the national fan reaction to the party: "Everyone saw something: greatness, arrogance, self-indulgence, boldness, cowardice, pride, friendship, collusion, joy, cynicism, heroes, mercenaries."[14]
By taking less than maximum salaries, Wade, James and Bosh opened the door for the Heat to further continue its roster makeover with the resigning of Udonis Haslem and signing of veteran swingman and teammate of Haslem at the University of Florida, Mike Miller for dual 5-year deals worth a combined $45 million.[15] In order to fill the voids at forward and center, the Heat signed James's former teammate in Cleveland, Zydrunas Ilgauskas to a two-year deal for the veterans minimum at $2.8 million, resigning Joel Anthony, and signing power forward Juwan Howard.[16] In the guard department, the Miami Heat resigned guard Carlos Arroyo and signed former Celtics player Eddie House to a two-year contract for the veteran minimum of $2.8 million.[17] Rookies Dexter Pittman and Da'Sean Butler, along with NBA Summer League standouts Patrick Beverley and Kenny Hasbrouck, also signed contracts.
The Miami Heat began the regular season with much hype going into their first game against the Eastern Conference Champs, the Boston Celtics. Many considered the Miami Heat as the team to break the single season record of 72 regular season victories set by the Chicago Bulls.[18]
On the opening game of the season, broadcast on the TNT Network and featuring the debut of reigning two-time NBA MVP James in a Miami uniform alongside Chris Bosh, the game was the most-watched NBA contest ever on cable television. The game earned a 4.6 rating, delivering 7.4 million total viewers and 5.3 million households, beating the Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers on February 2, 1996.[19]
The Heat lost the opening game 88–80 and got off to a 9–8 start due in large part to inconsistent play and injuries to key role players Mike Miller (thumb) and Udonis Haslem (foot). After losing four out of five games, including a Saturday night loss to the Dallas Mavericks on November 27, the team called a players-only meeting with the intent to get players to communicate with each other. Much of the speculation was that Spoelstra could lose his job and that Heat president Pat Riley would return as coach, especially after a well-publicized incident when James "bumped" into Spoelstra during a timeout.[20]
After the players-only meeting, the team pulled together a 12-game win streak (10 of them by double digits) and limited the opposition under 100 points in all those games. During the winning streak, James led the Heat to defeat his former team by scoring 38 points (tying a Heat record for points in a quarter with 24 in the third) in a game that drew nearly 7.1 million viewers and earned a 25.4 rating in Miami. ESPN 3D aired its first NBA game in the third dimension on December 17, 2010, when the Heat defeated the New York KnicksatMadison Square Garden.,[21][22][23] The Heat set a franchise record for wins in December with 15 and set an NBA record for consecutive road victories in a calendar month with 10 (including the Christmas Day match-up with the reigning two-time champs, Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers which the team won 96–80).[24]
During a postgame chat with Sun Sports' Jason Jackson on January 3, 2011, LeBron James joked "I see we sell out 99.1 percent on the road, so we call ourselves the Heatles off the Beatles, so every time we take our show on the road we bring a great crowd", giving the Heat's famed trio the unofficial nickname.[25]
On January 27, 2011, via fan voting, LeBron James (forward) and Dwyane Wade (guard) were selected to be starters for the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Game, becoming the second pair of teammates to be selected as All-Star starters in franchise history (Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade; 2006 and 2007). A few days later, forward Chris Bosh was selected as a reserve, marking the first time in Heat history the team had sent three players to the All-Star game in a single season.
Like the 2005–06 championship season, the Heat were criticized for being unable to beat the top-caliber teams of the NBA. This criticism though would just grow more and more as the regular season was beginning to wind down. Despite being tied 2–2 with their division rival, the Orlando Magic, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers 2–0, and beating both the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder once, they lost the season series to the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 3–1, were swept by the Chicago Bulls 3–0 and lost both times to the Dallas Mavericks, who continued their regular season dominance against Miami for their 16th straight victory dating back to the 2004–05 season.
In order to improve for the playoffs, the Heat signed guard Mike Bibby, who agreed to forfeit the $6.2 million he was owed by the Washington Wizards for the next season so that he could become a free agent and sign a league minimum contract with a contender. In the process, the Heat released Carlos Arroyo. In Bibby's first game on March 3, the Heat were leading the Magic by 24 points in the third quarter before the Heat were outscored 40–9 and lost 99–96.[26] The following night against the Spurs, who held the NBA's best record (51–11), the Heat lost 125–95, their most lopsided loss of the year and their fourth loss in five games.[27] In their next game against the Bulls, the Heat had a 12-point lead in the first half, but ended up losing 87–86 after two failed shots by James and Wade in the last 6 seconds of the game. It was the Heat's 12th and 13th consecutive missed shots with a chance to tie or lead a game in the final 10 seconds of regulation or overtime. James had missed four in the four-game losing streak. It was the Heat's fourth straight loss, and the fourth time since February 24 they had lost after a double-digit lead.[28] The Heat were 2–5 since the All-Star break, 5–13 in games decided by five or fewer points and 14–18 against teams with winning records.[29] After the game, there were reports of players crying in the locker room afterwards.[30] On March 10, the Heat beat the Lakers, 94–88, and ended their five-game losing streak while also ending the Lakers' eight-game winning streak.[31][32]
On March 27, Wade, James, and Bosh became the second trio in NBA history to have at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in the same non-overtime game (a home win against the Houston Rockets), matching Oscar Robertson, Wayne Embry and Jack Twyman for the Cincinnati Royals in a loss to the Philadelphia Warriors on February 2, 1961. Additionally, it was the first time that a team's trio recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds in consecutive games since Sidney Wicks, Lloyd Neal and John Johnson accomplished the feat with the Portland Trail Blazers in March 1975. It was also the first time in Heat franchise history that three players scored 30 points in the same game.[33]
The 2011 Heat finished with a 58–24 record, third best in team history and a second overall seed, behind the Chicago Bulls, who had the NBA's best record. Additionally, the Heat finished 5th in the NBA in attendance with 810,930 behind Mavericks, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, and Bulls in that order (100.9% capacity). The Heat faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and eliminated them in five games. In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Heat defeated their rival Boston Celtics in five games, winning a dramatic overtime Game 4 in Boston and a come-from-behind Game 5 victory at home to finish the series. In the Eastern Conference finals, the Heat faced the Chicago Bulls. After being blown out by 21 points by the Bulls in Game 1, the Heat took home-court by defeating Chicago in Game 2, and winning their home Games 3 and 4, the latter of which came in overtime. In Game 5 in Chicago, the Heat made a historic comeback; after being down 77–65 with 3:14 left, the Heat went on an 18–3 run to win, 83–80, capped by a key four-point play from Dwyane Wade and clutch shooting from LeBron James.[34] The Heat advanced to the 2011 NBA Finals to face the Dallas Mavericks, who had defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Oklahoma City Thunder. The series was a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, in which Dallas won the first two games and then lost four straight to Miami. The Heat won Game 1 in Miami, 92–84, but in Game 2, the Heat were leading the Mavericks by 15 points with 6:20 left in the fourth quarter before the Heat were outscored 22–5 and lost, 95–93. The Heat won Game 3 in Dallas 88–86 with the game-winning basket scored by Chris Bosh. The Mavericks won Game 4, 86–83, holding LeBron James to a career playoff-low 8 points. The Mavericks won Game 5 and took a 3–2 series lead with a 112–103 victory. That was the first time since March 6 that the Heat had lost two consecutive games, including the regular season, playoffs, and the NBA Finals. In Game 6, Dallas defeated Miami, 105–95, to win the 2011 NBA Finals in six games, 4–2. James's 17.8 points per game in the Finals was the largest drop off in points from a regular season to an NBA Finals (down 8.9 points from 26.7) in NBA history.[35] As James only averaged three points in the fourth quarters in the series, and he received the brunt of the criticism for the team's loss to Dallas as a result of his lackluster performance.[36]
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College/Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 32 | Dexter Pittman | C | USA | Texas (Sr.) |
| 2 | 41 | Jarvis Varnado | PF | USA | Mississippi State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 42 | Da'Sean Butler | SF | USA | West Virginia (Sr.) |
| 2 | 48 | Latavious Williams (traded to Oklahoma City) | SF/PF | USA | Tulsa 66ers (D-League) |
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roster |
| Player | 2010–11 Salary |
|---|---|
| LeBron James | $14,500,001 |
| Chris Bosh | $14,500,000 |
| Dwyane Wade | $14,000,000 |
| Mike Miller | $5,000,000 |
| Udonis Haslem | $3,500,000 |
| Joel Anthony | $3,000,000 |
| Zydrunas Ilgauskas | $1,352,181 |
| Jamaal Magloire | $1,352,181 |
| Juwan Howard | $1,352,181 |
| Eddie House | $1,352,181 |
| James Jones | $1,146,337 |
| Erick Dampier | $1,137,423 |
| Mario Chalmers | $854,839 |
| Dexter Pittman | $473,604 |
| Mike Bibby | $323,021 |
| TOTAL | $67,950,231 |
|
|
W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Miami Heat | 58 | 24 | .707 | – | 30–11 | 28–13 | 13–3 |
| x-Orlando Magic | 52 | 30 | .634 | 6 | 29–12 | 23–18 | 11–5 |
| x-Atlanta Hawks | 44 | 38 | .537 | 14 | 24–17 | 20–21 | 9–7 |
| Charlotte Bobcats | 34 | 48 | .415 | 24 | 21–20 | 13–28 | 4–12 |
| Washington Wizards | 23 | 59 | .280 | 35 | 20–21 | 3–38 | 3–13 |
| # |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | z-Chicago Bulls | 62 | 20 | .756 | – |
| 2 | y-Miami Heat | 58 | 24 | .707 | 4 |
| 3 | y-Boston Celtics | 56 | 26 | .683 | 6 |
| 4 | x-Orlando Magic | 52 | 30 | .634 | 10 |
| 5 | x-Atlanta Hawks | 44 | 38 | .537 | 18 |
| 6 | x-New York Knicks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 20 |
| 7 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 41 | 41 | .500 | 21 |
| 8 | x-Indiana Pacers | 37 | 45 | .451 | 25 |
| 9 | Milwaukee Bucks | 35 | 47 | .427 | 27 |
| 10 | Charlotte Bobcats | 34 | 48 | .415 | 28 |
| 11 | Detroit Pistons | 30 | 52 | .366 | 32 |
| 12 | New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 38 |
| 13 | Washington Wizards | 23 | 59 | .280 | 39 |
| 14 | Toronto Raptors | 22 | 60 | .268 | 40 |
| 15 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 19 | 63 | .232 | 43 |
| 2010–11 game log Total: 58–24 (home: 30–11; road: 28–13) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 3–1 (home: 1–0; road: 2–1)
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November: 7–7 (home: 7–3; road: 0–4)
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December: 15–1 (home: 5–1; road: 10–0)
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January: 9–5 (home: 5–1; road: 4–4)
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February: 9–3 (home: 4–1; road: 5–2)
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March: 9–6 (home: 6–4; road: 3–2)
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April: 6–1 (home: 2–1; road: 4–0)
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| 2010–11 season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 playoff game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First Round: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1)
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Conference Semifinals: 4–1 (home: 3–0; road: 1–1)
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Conference Finals: 4–1 (home: 2–0; road: 2–1)
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NBA Finals: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2)
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| 2011 playoff schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Anthony | 75 | 11 | 19.5 | .535 | .000 | .644 | 3.5 | 0.3 | 0.13 | 1.24 | 2.0 |
| Carlos Arroyo * | 49 | 42 | 20.3 | .458 | .438 | .800 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.29 | 0.02 | 5.6 |
| Mike Bibby * | 22 | 12 | 26.5 | .437 | .455 | .625 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.50 | 0.14 | 7.6 |
| Chris Bosh | 77 | 77 | 36.3 | .496 | .240 | .815 | 8.3 | 1.9 | 0.77 | 0.64 | 18.7 |
| Mario Chalmers | 70 | 28 | 22.6 | .399 | .359 | .871 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 1.09 | 0.10 | 6.4 |
| Erick Dampier | 51 | 22 | 16.0 | .584 | .000 | .545 | 3.5 | 0.4 | 0.27 | 0.92 | 2.5 |
| Udonis Haslem | 13 | 0 | 26.5 | .512 | .000 | .800 | 8.2 | 0.5 | 0.54 | 0.23 | 8.0 |
| Eddie House | 56 | 1 | 17.5 | .399 | .389 | .950 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.57 | 0.05 | 6.5 |
| Juwan Howard | 57 | 0 | 10.4 | .440 | .000 | .829 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.18 | 0.07 | 2.4 |
| Žydrūnas Ilgauskas | 72 | 51 | 15.9 | .508 | .000 | .783 | 4.0 | 0.4 | 0.32 | 0.81 | 5.0 |
| LeBron James | 79 | 79 | 38.8 | .510 | .330 | .759 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 1.57 | 0.63 | 26.7 |
| James Jones | 81 | 8 | 19.1 | .422 | .429 | .833 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.36 | 0.23 | 5.9 |
| Jamaal Magloire | 18 | 0 | 8.8 | .591 | .000 | .500 | 3.4 | 0.2 | 0.22 | 0.11 | 1.9 |
| Mike Miller | 41 | 2 | 20.4 | .401 | .364 | .676 | 4.5 | 1.2 | 0.49 | 0.05 | 5.6 |
| Dexter Pittman | 2 | 0 | 5.5 | .333 | .000 | .000 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.0 |
| Jerry Stackhouse * | 7 | 1 | 7.1 | .250 | .250 | .714 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.00 | 0.29 | 1.7 |
| Dwyane Wade | 76 | 76 | 37.1 | .500 | .306 | .758 | 6.4 | 4.6 | 1.46 | 1.14 | 25.5 |
Lead team
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joel Anthony | 21 | 13 | 27.4 | .367 | .000 | .710 | 4.6 | 0.5 | 0.38 | 1.81 | 2.8 |
| Mike Bibby | 20 | 20 | 20.8 | .281 | .258 | .500 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.55 | 0.30 | 3.7 |
| Chris Bosh | 21 | 21 | 39.7 | .474 | .000 | .814 | 8.5 | 1.1 | 0.71 | 0.90 | 18.6 |
| Mario Chalmers | 21 | 1 | 24.3 | .435 | .381 | .719 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.24 | 0.05 | 7.8 |
| Erick Dampier | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
| Udonis Haslem | 12 | 0 | 24.2 | .397 | .000 | .900 | 4.5 | 0.8 | 0.50 | 0.33 | 5.3 |
| Eddie House | 7 | 0 | 6.9 | .235 | .300 | .000 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.57 | 0.00 | 1.6 |
| Juwan Howard | 11 | 0 | 5.5 | .444 | .000 | .692 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.5 |
| Žydrūnas Ilgauskas | 9 | 8 | 11.6 | .467 | .000 | .667 | 3.6 | 0.3 | 0.00 | 0.33 | 3.6 |
| LeBron James | 21 | 21 | 43.9 | .466 | .353 | .763 | 8.4 | 5.9 | 1.67 | 1.19 | 23.7 |
| James Jones | 12 | 0 | 22.7 | .471 | .459 | 1.000 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 0.50 | 0.17 | 6.5 |
| Jamaal Magloire | 3 | 0 | 6.0 | .400 | .000 | .000 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.33 | 0.00 | 1.3 |
| Mike Miller | 18 | 0 | 11.9 | .340 | .297 | .000 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.39 | 0.06 | 2.6 |
| Dexter Pittman | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
| Dwyane Wade | 21 | 21 | 39.4 | .485 | .269 | .777 | 7.1 | 4.4 | 1.62 | 1.33 | 24.5 |
Lead team
| June 23, 2010 | ToOklahoma City Thunder----
|
ToMiami Heat----
|
| June 24, 2010 | ToOklahoma City Thunder----
|
ToMiami Heat----
|
| July 9, 2010 | ToCleveland Cavaliers----
|
ToMiami Heat---- |
| July 9, 2010 | ToToronto Raptors----
|
ToMiami Heat---- |
| July 12, 2010 | ToMinnesota Timberwolves---- | ToMiami Heat----
|
| Player | Signed | Former Team |
|---|---|---|
| Dwyane Wade | Signed 6 Year Contract For $107.5 Million | Miami Heat |
| Chris Bosh | Signed 6 Year Contract For $110.1 Million | Toronto Raptors |
| LeBron James | Signed 6 Year Contract For $110.1 Million | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Udonis Haslem | Signed 5 Year Contract For $20.0 Million | Miami Heat |
| Mike Miller | Signed 5 Year Contract For $25.0 Million | Washington Wizards |
| Joel Anthony | Signed 5 Year Contract For $18.0 Million | Miami Heat |
| Žydrūnas Ilgauskas | Signed 2 Year Contract For $2.8 Million | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Juwan Howard | Signed 1 Year Contract For $1.35 Million | Portland Trail Blazers |
| James Jones | Signed 1 Year Contract For $1.1 Million | Miami Heat |
| Carlos Arroyo | Signed 1 Year Contract For $1.23 Million | Miami Heat |
| Jamaal Magloire | Signed 1 Year Contract For 1.23 Million | Miami Heat |
| Shavlik Randolph | Signed 1 Year Contract For $250,000 | Miami Heat |
| Jerry Stackhouse | Signed 1 Year Contract For $210,339 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Erick Dampier | Signed 1 Year Contract For $1.14 Million | Charlotte Bobcats |
| Mike Bibby | Signed 1 Year Contract For $450,727 | Washington Wizards |
| Player | Reason Left | New Team |
|---|---|---|
| Dorell Wright | Free Agent | Golden State Warriors |
| Quentin Richardson | Free Agent | Orlando Magic |
| Jermaine O'Neal | Free Agent | Boston Celtics |
| Shavlik Randolph | Waived | |
| Jerry Stackhouse | Waived | |
| Carlos Arroyo | Waived | Boston Celtics |
The Miami Heat entered NBA free agency in 2010 with nearly $46 million in salary cap space, with the ability to re-sign free agent Dwyane Wade, and add two of the NBA's top players, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. According to Fox Sports Radio's Stephen A. Smith, speaking on his show just days after the NBA draft, the Heat were "highly likely" to sign all three players.[4] The New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat were in negotiations to sign LeBron James. On July 7, 2010, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh agreed to terms with the Miami Heat. Then on July 8, 2010, James held an hour-long special to announce his decision on ESPN to commit to playing with the Heat.[5] Later that evening, the Heat announced the trade of Michael Beasley to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a pair of second-round picks and cash considerations.[6]
On July 8, 2010, it became official that NBA players and gold medal-winning Beijing Olympic teammates James, Wade, and Bosh would be joining the Heat. The Heat completed sign-and-trade deals, sending a total of four future first-round and two-second-round picks to the Cavaliers and Raptors for James and Bosh (both signing six-year, $110.1 million contracts). Wade re-signed with the Heat for $107.59 million for six years. All three have early-termination clauses in their contracts, allowing them to become free agents again in four years, in the summer of 2014. The final year on all three deals, for 2015–16, is a player option.[8][9][62] The three made their debut at the 2010 Summer Heat Welcome Party at the American Airlines Arena on July 9, where they were introduced as The Three Kings by Heat play-by-play announcer and event co-host Eric Reid.[11] Howard Beck of The New York Times described the national fan reaction to the party: "Everyone saw something: greatness, arrogance, self-indulgence, boldness, cowardice, pride, friendship, collusion, joy, cynicism, heroes, mercenaries."[14]
By taking less than maximum salaries, Wade, James and Bosh opened the door for the Heat to further continue its roster makeover with the re-signing of Udonis Haslem and signing of veteran swingman and teammate of Haslem at the University of Florida, Mike Miller, for dual five-year deals worth a combined $45 million.[63] In order to fill the voids at forward and center, the Heat signed James's former teammate in Cleveland, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, to a two-year deal for the veteran's minimum at $2.8 million, re-signed Joel Anthony, and signed power forward Juwan Howard.[64] In the guard department, the Miami Heat re-signed guard Carlos Arroyo and signed former Celtics player Eddie House to a two-year contract for the veteran's minimum of $2.8 million.[65] Rookies Dexter Pittman and Da'Sean Butler, along with NBA Summer League standouts Patrick Beverley and Kenny Hasbrouck, also signed contracts.
The Miami Heat began the regular season with much hype going into their first game against the Eastern Conference Champs, the Boston Celtics. Many[who?] considered the Miami Heat as the team to break the single-season record of 72 regular season victories set by the Chicago Bulls.[18] The opening game of the season, broadcast on the TNT Network and featuring the debut of reigning two-time NBA MVP James in a Miami uniform alongside Chris Bosh, was the most-watched NBA contest ever on cable television. The game earned a 4.6 rating, delivering 7.4 million total viewers and 5.3 million households, beating the Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers on February 2, 1996.[66]
The Heat lost the opening game 88–80 and got off to a 9–8 start due in large part to inconsistent play and injuries of key role players Mike Miller (thumb) and Udonis Haslem (foot). After losing four out of five games, including a Saturday night loss to the Dallas Mavericks on November 27, the team called a players-only meeting with the intent to get players to communicate with each other. Much of the speculation was that Spoelstra could lose his job and that Heat president Pat Riley would return as coach, especially after a well publicized incident when James "bumped" into Spoelstra during a timeout.[67]
After the players-only meeting, the team pulled together a 12-game win streak (10 of them by double digits) and limited the opposition under 100 points in all those games. During the winning streak, James led the Heat in defeating his former team by scoring 38 points (tying a Heat record for points in a quarter with 24 in the third) in a game that drew nearly 7.1 million viewers and earned a 25.4 rating in Miami. ESPN 3D aired its first NBA game in the third dimension on December 17, 2010, when the Heat defeated the New York KnicksatMadison Square Garden.,[68][69][70] The Heat set a franchise record for wins in December with 15 and set an NBA record for consecutive road victories in a calendar month with 10 (including the Christmas Day match-up with the reigning two-time champion Los Angeles Lakers, which the team won 96–80).[71]
During a post-game chat with Sun Sports' Jason Jackson on January 3, 2011, LeBron James joked "I see we sell out 99.1 percent on the road, so we call ourselves the Heatles off the Beatles, so every time we take our show on the road we bring a great crowd", giving the Heat's trio the unofficial nickname.[72]
On January 27, 2011, via fan voting, James (forward) and Wade (guard) were selected to be starters for the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Game, becoming the second pair of teammates to be selected as All-Star starters in franchise history (Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade; 2006 and 2007). A few days later, forward Chris Bosh was selected as a reserve, marking the first time in Heat history the team had sent three players to the All-Star game in a single season.
Like the 2005–06 championship season, the Heat were criticized, for being unable to beat the top-caliber teams of the NBA. This criticism though would just grow more and more as the regular season was beginning to wind down. Despite beating their division rival Orlando Magic two of three games, sweeping the Lakers 2–0, and beating both the San Antonio Spurs and the Thunder once, they had lost to the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics three times, swept by the Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks who swept the season series and continued their regular season dominance against Miami for their 16th straight victory dating back to the 2004–05 season.
In order to improve for the playoffs, the Heat signed guard Mike Bibby, who agreed to forfeit the $6.2 million he was owed by the Washington Wizards for the next season so that he could become a free agent and sign a league-minimum contract with a contender. In the process, the Heat released Carlos Arroyo. In Bibby's first game on March 3, the Heat were leading the Magic by 24 points in the third quarter before the Heat were outscored 40–9 and lost 99–96.[26] The following night against the Spurs, who held the NBA's best record (51–11), the Heat lost 125–95, their most lopsided loss of the year and their fourth loss in five games.[27] In their next game against the Bulls, the Heat had a 12-point lead in the first half, but they ended up losing 87–86 after two failed shots by James and Wade in the last 6 seconds of the game. It was the Heat's 12th and 13th consecutive missed shots with a chance to tie or lead a game in the final 10 seconds of regulation or overtime. James had missed four in the four-game losing streak. It was the Heat's fourth straight loss, and the fourth time since February 24 they had lost after a double-digit lead.[28] The Heat were 2–5 since the All-Star break, 5–13 in games decided by five or fewer points and 14–18 against teams with winning records.[29] After the game, there were reports of players crying in the locker room afterwards.[30] On March 10, the Heat beat the Lakers, 94–88, and ended their five-game losing streak while also ending the Lakers' eight-game winning streak.[31][32]
On March 27, Wade, James, and Bosh became the second trio in NBA history to have at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in the same non-overtime game (a home win against the Houston Rockets), matching Oscar Robertson, Wayne Embry and Jack Twyman for the Cincinnati Royals in a loss to the Philadelphia Warriors on February 2, 1961. Additionally, it was the first time that a team's trio recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds in consecutive games since Sidney Wicks, Lloyd Neal and John Johnson accomplished the feat with the Portland Trail Blazers in March 1975. It was also the first time in Heat franchise history that three players scored 30 points in the same game.[73]
The 2011 Heat finished with a 58–24 record, third best in team history and a second overall seed, behind the Chicago Bulls, who had the NBA's best record. Additionally, the Heat finished 5th in the NBA in attendance with 810,930, behind the Mavericks, Cavaliers, Trail Blazers, and Bulls in that order (100.9% capacity). The Heat faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and eliminated them in five games. In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Heat defeated their rival Boston Celtics in five games, winning a dramatic overtime Game 4 in Boston and a come-from-behind Game 5 victory at home to finish the series. In the Eastern Conference finals, the Heat faced the Chicago Bulls. After being blown out by 21 points by the Bulls in Game 1, the Heat took home-court by defeating Chicago in Game 2, and winning their home Games 3 and 4, the latter of which came in overtime. In Game 5 in Chicago, the Miami Heat made a historic comeback; after being down 77–65 with 3:14 left, the Heat went on an 18–3 run to win, 83–80, capped by a key four-point play from Wade and clutch shooting from James.[74] The Heat advanced to the NBA Finals to face the Dallas Mavericks, who had defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Oklahoma City Thunder. This series was a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, in which Dallas won the first two games and then lost four straight to Miami. The Heat won Game 1 in Miami, 92–84, but in Game 2, the Heat were leading the Mavericks by 15 points with 6:20 left in the fourth quarter before the Heat were outscored 22–5 and lost, 95–93. Miami won Game 3 in Dallas 88–86 with the game-winning basket scored by Chris Bosh. They would lose to the Mavericks in six games falling just short of capturing their 2nd NBA Championship. Dwyane Wade averaged 26.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, the highest scorer on the team, while LeBron James averaged 17.8 points, and 7.1 rebounds which was the largest drop off in points from a regular season to an NBA Finals in NBA history.[35]
In that moment on July 9, amid the pyrotechnics, the Miami Heat became a national Rorschach test. Everyone saw something: greatness, arrogance, self-indulgence, boldness, cowardice, pride, friendship, collusion, joy, cynicism, heroes, mercenaries.
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