| During the boom period of the NBA of the 1980s | | | | Division basement. |
| the league sought to expand itself from 23 teams | | | | Rothstein would resign as head coach at the end |
| to 26 by the end of the decade. In Florida, a | | | | of the season, but later would return to the Heat |
| state devoid of any NBA franchises, groups from | | | | prior to the 2004-05 season as an assistant |
| Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg and Miami all vied | | | | coach, a role he still fulfills today. |
| to land franchises. | | | | In the wake of Rothstein's resignation prior to the |
| The Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority | | | | 1991-92 season, the Heat hired Kevin Loughery, |
| eventually endorsed a group led by NBA Hall of | | | | who had 29 years of experience in the NBA both |
| Famer Billy Cunningham and former sports agent | | | | as a coach and a player, to be their new head |
| (and lifelong friend of Cunningham's) Lewis | | | | coach. For the 1991 NBA Draft, the team |
| Schaffel, who received their financial backing from | | | | selected Steve Smith from Michigan State, who |
| Carnival Cruise Lines tycoon Ted Arison, who | | | | provided an agile guard to a more mature Heat |
| would be the majority shareholder of a potential | | | | team. With the help of rookie Smith, Rony |
| franchise but defer the day-to-day operations to | | | | Seikaly, and a more experienced Glen Rice, the |
| minority shareholders Cunningham and Schaffel. | | | | Heat finished in fourth place in the Atlantic Division |
| In April 1987, the NBA expansion committee | | | | with a 38-44 record and made the playoffs for |
| endorsed the bids of the cities of Charlotte and | | | | the first time. Playing the league-best Chicago |
| Minneapolis. However, the committee was split | | | | Bulls, the Heat were swept in three games. Steve |
| between awarding the third and final franchise to | | | | Smith made the NBA All-Rookie team and Glen |
| Miami or Orlando, causing representatives from | | | | Rice finished 10th in the NBA in scoring. |
| both cities to toss barbs at the other. Finally, it | | | | The 1992-93 NBA season included the additions of |
| was decided that the NBA would expand by 4 | | | | draft choice Harold Miner of the University of |
| teams, with the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat | | | | Southern California as well as trading a 1st round |
| debuting for the 1988-89 season and the | | | | pick (which would turn into the #10 overall pick |
| Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic | | | | the following season) for Detroit Pistons forward |
| beginning for the 1989-90 season. | | | | center John Salley. While Salley's addition was first |
| For their first head coach, Miami hired Ron | | | | met with optimism because of the role that he |
| Rothstein, who was a longtime assistant coach | | | | played on two championship Detroit Pistons |
| under Chuck Daly in Detroit and who was credited | | | | squads, it became apparent quickly that Salley |
| with being one of the architects of Detroit's | | | | was a quality role player for a good team, but not |
| stifling defense. | | | | a quality player for a mediocre team like Miami |
| The Heat came into the NBA for the 1988-89 | | | | was at the time. Salley would eventually have his |
| season with an unproductive first year, with a | | | | playing time diminish, ultimately resulting in his |
| roster full of young players and journeymen. | | | | being taken by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 |
| Among the players on the inaugural roster were | | | | expansion draft. As for the season itself, it |
| first round picks Rony Seikaly and Kevin Edwards, | | | | started off poorly, with Smith missing time with a |
| fellow rookies Grant Long and Sylvester Gray as | | | | knee injury and Burton being lost for most of the |
| well as NBA vets Rory Sparrow, Jon Sundvold, | | | | year with a wrist injury. Upon Smith's return, |
| Pat Cummings, Scott Hastings, Dwayne "Pearl" | | | | Miami posted a winning record in February and |
| Washington and Billy Thompson. The team started | | | | March, but it was not enough to dig themselves |
| out the season by losing its first 17 games, an | | | | out of the 13-27-hole they began in. They finished |
| NBA record. It did not help that the Heat were | | | | 36-46 and would not return to the playoffs. |
| placed in the Midwest Division of the Western | | | | A healthier squad fared better in 1993-94, posting |
| Conference. This forced them on the longest road | | | | the franchise's first-ever winning record at 42-40 |
| trips in the NBA; their nearest divisional opponent | | | | and returning to the playoffs as the #8 seed |
| was the Houston Rockets, over 900 miles from | | | | versus the Atlanta Hawks. After Miami had a 2-1 |
| Miami. The team ultimately finished with a | | | | series lead, Atlanta rallied from the deficit to win |
| league-worst 15-67 win-loss record. | | | | the best-of-5 series. After that season, Steve |
| To help address Miami's league-low point | | | | Smith would be selected as a member of the 2nd |
| production, the Heat picked Glen Rice from the | | | | Dream Team, the collection of NBA All-Stars who |
| University of Michigan in the first round of the | | | | were selected to compete in the 1994 World |
| 1989 NBA Draft, and Sherman Douglas of | | | | Basketball Championships in Toronto as Team |
| Syracuse University in the 2nd round. The team | | | | U.S.A.. Dream Team II, also made up of future |
| also moved to the Atlantic Division of the Eastern | | | | Heat players Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Dan |
| Conference for the 1989-90 season, where they | | | | Majerle and Tim Hardaway, would go on to win |
| would remain for the next 15 years. However, | | | | the tournament. |
| the Heat continued to struggle and never won | | | | In 1994-95, the team overhauled their roster, |
| more than two consecutive games, en route to | | | | trading away Seikaly, Smith, and Grant Long. In |
| an 18-64 record. | | | | return, the Heat obtained Kevin Willis and Billy |
| The 1989-90 season saw Miami awarded with the | | | | Owens. |
| 3rd pick overall, only to parlay via two trades | | | | Also, at this time came a power shift in Heat's |
| (first with the Denver Nuggets and later with the | | | | front office. On February 13, 1995 Cunningham |
| Houston Rockets) into getting the 9th and 12th | | | | and Lew Schaffel were bought out by the Arison |
| picks, with which they selected Willie Burton of | | | | family of Carnival Cruise Lines fame, who to that |
| the University of Minnesota and Alec Kessler of | | | | point in time had been silent partners in the |
| the University of Georgia. Both picks flopped, as | | | | day-to-day operations of the franchise until the |
| the Heat tried to turn Burton, a college small | | | | buyout. Micky Arison, son of Carnival founder Ted |
| forward, into a shooting guard without much | | | | Arison was named Managing General Partner. He |
| success and Kessler was bogged by injury | | | | immediately fired Loughery and replaced him with |
| problems and was not physical enough to be a | | | | Alvin Gentry on an interim basis to try and shake |
| quality NBA power forward. | | | | up the 17-29 Heat. Gentry went 15-21 for the |
| While Rice, Seikaly and Douglas all showed | | | | remaining 36 games of the season for a 32-50 |
| improvement from the previous year, Miami still | | | | record overall, 10 games off the previous year's |
| only went 24-58 and remained in the Atlantic | | | | mark. |