Miami Heat

Even if you're not a fan of basketball, you probably at least heard the Miami Heat being mentioned in the news this past summer. LeBron's "Decision" gave Miami the spotlight, but more on that in the current situation section...

The Heat play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. They've been in the NBA since the 1988-1989 season when Miami was chosen as one of the NBA's expansion cities. They've been a fairly succesful team for how young they are, and their location definitely draws top free-agent talent eager to move to South Beach.

Current Situation (2010-2011)
Last Updated: May 2011
As I write this, Miami is in the 2nd round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics. The Heat finished the season with a 58-24 record, good for second best in the East (behind the Chicago Bulls). They made quick work of the first round, and have proven that they've gotten their stuff together and can win games against tough teams, leading the series against Boston 2-0.

Miami hit the free agency jackpot this summer with the signings of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, and the re-signing of Dwyane Wade, who were then dubbed the "Three Kings." This made Miami either a team to love or a team to hate for years to come.

The Heat got off to a slow start this year, which, of course, all of the haters loved. Now they lead the Southeast Divison at 25-9 (at the time of writing). You can see the up-to-date information on the ESPN.com widget to the right.

LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade have started to mesh well together, along with their supporting cast of Carlos Arroya, Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, and others. This was particularly evident when the Miami Heat took out the defending champion L.A. Lakers on Christmas day and have gone up 2-0 against former champs, the Boston Celtics.

Heat Logo
The design isn't simple, but the concept for the Heat logo is. "Heat" isn't really something you can make a picture of, but you can demonstrate it with something like fire. The logo actually goes really well with basketball terms like, "he's on fire" and "heating up." I'm sure that this, along with Miami being a rather warm place, was part of the decision in naming the team the "Heat".

The logo is simply a flaming basketball (or basketball on fire, however you want to put it) that is going through a rim. So, the "heat" is the fire from the basketball. In additiona to this logo, the Miami Heat also have a flame coming out of the "T" of HEAT on their jerseys, somewhat like a flame coming out of a lighter.

Miami Heat Trivia

The following are possibly some little known facts about the Miami Heat.

• The Heat are one of 4 NBA teams who's name does not end in an "s." (Others: Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic, and Oklahoma City Thunder)
• Miami was originally placed in the Midwest Division of the NBA's Western Conference
• "Superfreinds" Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were all drafted in the Top 5 of the 2003 NBA Draft.

Check out all of the Heat gear from NBAStore.com below.

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