Your Earliest Memory of Watching the Miami Heat?

[Wolfy1983]

I can't remember what year it was specifically. It might have been 1993 (I was 10). I was flipping through the channels and I stumbled across a Heat game against Jordan's Bulls. At the time, I wasn't following basketball that much, but I knew who the Bulls were because they were on National television all the time. I knew nothing about the Heat. Well let's just say that the Bulls had their way with Miami that night.

I didn't really become a Heat fan until the end of the 1993-94 season when they got they clinched their 2nd playoff appearance and went on to face the Top seeded Hawks which went to a decisive game 5. Still a little peeved that we let that series get away from us since we would've been the 1st number 8 seed to eliminate a 1 seed.

Anyways, what's your earliest memory?

[goodboy]

Not the earliest but...

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uRN7iJ5CqQ[/youtube]

FYI: It will happen again. (knocks on wood)

I became a casual fan in 04 when he hit the winner against the Hornets and a fully committed one in 06.

[Prince Ali]

The classic battles with the Knicks in the late 90's/early 00's

[vincent]

How far back can I remember....

Well ,When this guy hit the game winner vs the Clipper
http://www.nba.com/heat/history/gnf0506_sparrow.html

KIDS PLEASE READ AND YOU MAY LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT MY MIAMI HEAT HISTORY...
560 WAS FLAGSHIP STATION WITH (I THINK SAM SMITH OR WAS THAT TV)

Our salvation came at the hands of the Clippers, and our win was a team effort. Cummings, Thompson, and Grant Long—he was a rookie for us—all finished with 15 points. But what made me most proud was my role in the win; I only finished with four points, but I was the most important player on the floor down the stretch.

Fast-forward to the end of the game, and you’ll see what I mean. There was a minute and a half left and we were up by one. We had been leading by 12 in the third quarter and were worried that this game was slipping away like so many others. I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen, so when I got open at the foul line, I stuck a jumper to give us the lead, 89-86.

But there was still plenty of time. Ken Norman scored right away to cut our lead to one, and then we committed a 24-second violation while trying to run the clock down, sending the ball back to L.A. We would have to win with our defense. With 12 seconds left, the Clippers had the ball and a chance to run a play…and steal another win away from us.

Norm Nixon got the ball at halfcourt, then dribbled baseline. I hounded Norm just enough to force him into a fallaway jumper, which I had a good feeling was off. I was right, his shot was long, and the Clippers couldn’t come up with the rebound as time expired. We had finally won a game! We just went crazy, with a midcourt celebration. It was such a relief to finally end the streak.

We also exacted a measure of revenge with that win, because it was the Clippers who beat us by 20 points in our home opener that season. We had been hyped to win that first game in front of the home fans, but L.A. knocked us out, 111-91. It was sweet to end this horrible streak against the team that started us on it.

For as much relief as we felt winning this game and finally breaking the streak, to a man we wished we had been able to get that first victory in Miami, in front of the home fans. Those fans had been supportive of us throughout the streak—nine of the 17 losses had been at home—by rarely voicing their displeasure with boos. We appreciated that because we were trying our best.

Although we felt like we were due to reel off a few wins after getting the monkey off our backs, the HEAT continued to struggle. Around midseason, we were stuck at 4-38 and were on pace to become the league’s all-time worst team. Fortunately, we “rallied”—winning as many as three in a row in March—to finish 15-67.

The next year, 1989-90, was my last in Miami. I was playing a smaller role on the team and unfortunately, we didn’t fare much better at 18-64. My two years in Miami has to be as bad a career record as any player has had with one team.

But as you know now, the clouds broke up and the HEAT were in the playoffs by their fourth season. I went on to play for three more teams in my career.

I can’t say that ending a 17-game losing streak is the highlight of my career, but I’m proud of the role I played in bringing Miami its first professional basketball win. It was a long time coming.

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

G-Money dropping 40 or 50 something points. It's what got me into watching the team when I was in elementary school

[kyphi]

I remember seeing games with Rony Seikley (sorry about the mangling of his name) and Grant Long

[dakogoliath]

I think it was 96 or 97 heat were up 30 on a jordan led bulls and bulls were makin a run on the 4th but fell short I remember MJ killed the momentum when he took a fade 3 lol.

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[Cmon_Son-_-]

My first memory was either 98-99 playoffs or 99-00 playoffs I just remember the heat playing the Knicks. But my first game was in I think 2001 we we're playing the Warriors. I remember Gilbert Arenas hitting some nice shots but Eddie Jones lit them up for like 40 that game.

[ifrosty13]

1996.. Miami Heat vs the Vancouver Grizzlies. First basketball game I ever attended and instantly began following the Heat.

[BIRDMAN BIRDMAN]

I'm in the younger tier I guess. My Heat fanhood actually didn't start by watching a game at first (bought a Heat bag when I was young which eventually triggered me into watching the NBA) but I saw that Wade shot vs. the Hornets at first and didn't know who he was, but then I became more into the NBA and Heat for real when I saw the 05 playoffs and 'em losing to Detroit in 7. That hurt so much that I really followed the league for good and wanted to see 'em bounce back next year sooooo bad and the rest is history.

[miamivice]

my dad had season tickets their first year. i went to a bunch of games. back then, you'd pretty much go to see great players from other teams manhandle us like bird, jordan, etc. one time, robert parish told me to **** off. i was only 11...

[kyphi]

Chief!!!

[Wolfy1983]

Anyone here old enough to remember the road game against the 18-1 Houston Rockets back in '93, the game in which Miami lead by 3 and Vernon Maxell tied it up at the buzzer to send it to OT where we eventually lost? That was a heart breaker at the time.

9:23 Mark
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhfV6xE2zao[/youtube]

[Maroko]

i was cheering for the Hornets with Larry Grandma Johnson and Alonzo Mourning but my earliest memory was not when he was traded to the Miami Heat for some reasons (i cant remember about it...) but this moment




An Angry Pat Riley Insists the Heat Broke No Salary Cap Rules

Angry after losing Juwan Howard to the Washington Bullets, Pat Riley said yesterday that the Miami Heat was treated unfairly by the National Basketball Association. Riley also said that the league wanted Howard in Washington, not Miami, and that the Heat did not break any salary cap rules in its attempt to sign him.

It was the first time that Riley had spoken publicly about the dispute since Saturday's settlement between the Heat and the league assured that Howard would return to the Bullets. And the coach and part-owner of the Heat said a mouthful.

A league spokesman said yesterday that the league would not respond to Riley's charges. But Riley had no problem telling his side of the story.

''There was not one mistake made by us when it came to the salary cap,'' Riley said in a conference call with reporters. ''We did not forget how to add. We never broke the rules. We played within the rules of the collective bargaining agreement. The only people who broke the rules were the N.B.A., because they changed the rules as they went along. That's a fact.''

...

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/08/13/sports/an-angry-pat-riley-insists-the-heat-broke-no-salary-cap-rules.html

[Wolfy1983]

I remember when that NBA nixed that signing. I still don't get what the Heat did illegally because I haven't researched into it. Did we go over the cap with the Howard signing, was that against league rules back then?

[Maroko]

I remember when that NBA nixed that signing. I still don't get what the Heat did illegally because I haven't researched into it. Did we go over the cap with the Howard signing, was that against league rules back then?

I can just remember Juwan wearing the Heat's cap then flying back to Washington and wearing the Bullets cap

[dancing2thabeet]

I became a Heat fan after the 03 draft, because I loved Wade's game in college. I did follow NBA a year or two before and a random game here or there even before that. I do not remember any memorable games from before Wade era though.
So my first memory is Wade's NBA debut and if I recall correctly it was against Philly, led by Allen Iverson. The Sixers won with Iverson taking over in 4th, but Wade took over his place as my favorite NBA player.

Edit: I think this this is the video, but I have no idea why it says 2004. Oh, the memories...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDM0nhH3rTs[/youtube]

[number1joker]

1996.. Miami Heat vs the Vancouver Grizzlies. First basketball game I ever attended and instantly began following the Heat.

same. i was at that exact game. it was my first game too. i was 6

[Axel]

I first started watching the NBA in 2000-2001 playoffs, and my first memory of watching the HEAT was versus Jordan & the Wizards. The Heat won despite Jordan's 37 points, led by Eddie Jones. Next season we drafted Caron and Rasual, which was when I became a full fledged Heat fanatic. EJ was my favorite player, and I remember his 3pt streak which Eric Reid always reminded us about.

[HeatNation88]

Forgot what year but when Zo had back to back to back blocks... Forgot what year tho