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