The Miami Heat have been one of the most successful expansion franchises in major pro sports since entering the NBA in the 1988-89 season. Miami has won three championships in seven trips to the NBA Finals and made the playoffs in all but 11 of their 37 seasons.
Who some of players that most helped make the Heat franchise a success? RotoWire sought to find out. Here they are:
Miami Heat All Quarter Century Team Members
This list is not necessarily the five Heat players with the best statistics or most championships with the team. RotoWire (your source for NBA betting sites) made our selections using a combination of stats, achievements and awards. We also used a traditional basketball starting lineup as our guide, meaning two forwards, a center and two guards.
Dwyane Wade (2003 to 2016 and 2018 to 2019)
Not only is Dwyane Wade a shoo-in for Miami's quarter-century team, his mix of a high peak and longevity make him easily the greatest player in the history of the Heat franchise, dating back to 1988. After being drafted fifth overall by the Heat in 2003, Wade was a 13-time All-Star in Miami. The first-ballot Hall of Famer holds both the regular-season and playoff franchise records for games played, points, assists and steals. Wade was a key player on all three of the Heat's championship teams. He delivered the franchise's first Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2006, averaging 34.4 points per game in the NBA Finals against the Mavericks to win NBA Finals MVP. Wade was also the second-leading scorer on both the 2012 and 2013 title teams and won a regular-season scoring title in 2008-09 with 30.2 PPG, still a single-season franchise record.
Jimmy Butler (2019 to 2025)
Jimmy Butler and coach Erik Spoelstra have been the architects of the franchise's playoff success since the dissolution of the "Heatles" lineup. Butler's postseason heroics helped the Heat reach the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023, while earning another trip to the Eastern Conference final in 2022. He was an All-Star twice in Miami – including 2021-22, when the Heat finished atop the Eastern Conference. And Butler consistently raised his game in the playoffs, averaging 27.4 PPG in the 2022 postseason and 26.9 PPG in the 2023 postseason to help middling on-paper rosters punch above their weight. Even considering his numerous absences and ugly exit from Miami in 2025 in the wake of a contract dispute, Butler has earned his spot on this quarter-century team. He's still worth watching for prop betting at NBA betting apps as a member of the Warriors.
LeBron James (2010 to 2014)
LeBron James spent only four seasons in Miami, but he was at his peak during his Heat years. The Heat reached the NBA Finals in all four of James' campaigns there, going 2-2 in those appearances. James supplanted Wade as the best player on the team during that time and was the leading figure in the franchise's second and third championship runs (2012 and 2013), winning the regular-season MVP award and Finals MVP for both seasons. LeBron averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game during his Heat tenure.
Chris Bosh (2010 to 2017)
Chris Bosh was the third member of Miami's Big Three during the Heat's dynastic run in the 2010s. James and the former Raptors big man both took their talents to South Beach in the 2010 offseason, joining Wade for a life of sunshine, no state taxes and ring chasing. As the NBA's most talented third option during the Heatles era, Bosh sacrificed individual accolades for the good of the team, averaging 18.0 PPG across six seasons with the Heat after scoring 24.0 PPG in his final season for Toronto preceding his move to Miami. Bosh won two championships and was named an All-Star in each of his six seasons with Miami before a blood clotting condition forced him into early retirement.
Shaquille O'Neal (2004 to 2008)
Like LeBron James, Shaq's an all-time great whose time in Miami was successful enough to land him on the quarter-century team, even if a Heat jersey isn't what immediately comes to mind when you picture Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq finished second in MVP voting in his first season with the team (2004-05) and was the second-leading scorer on the 2006 championship team behind Wade. His high peak gives Shaq the edge at center over the longevity of Udonis Haslem, who ranks second on the franchise's all-time games played list (879), is the leading rebounder in Heat history and played on all three championship teams.
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