Miami Heat Logo — Miami Heat is a team of basketball of the NBA based in Miami, Florida. The Heat play their home games at American Airlines Arena and are part of the Southeast Division of the NBA Eastern Conference. The team was founded in 1988 thanks to the expansion of the NBA in 1987 and their ranks have played league stars such as Alonzo Mourning, Glen Rice, Tim Hardaway, Gary Payton, Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James. His greatest achievement was the title of champion in 2005-06, after beating Dallas Mavericks 4-2. Miami has appeared in the playoffs in 12 of the 20 seasons that participated in the NBA. Besides the ring, the Heat have 7 division titles, made ​​in the two most glorious times of the franchise, from 1997 to 2000, and 2005 to 2007.

During the boom that shook the NBA in the 1980’s, the league sought to expand the number of teams of 23 to 27, until the end of the decade. Then in the state of Florida lacked an NBA team, so grew the possibility of the birth of one in Orlando, Tampa / St. Petersburg (Florida) together, or Miami. The Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority promoted the candidacy of Miami by a group led by Hall of Famer Billy Cunningham and Lewis Schaffel, a former sports agent and friend of a lifetime. The group was supported financially by Carnival Cruise Lines, a cruise company founded by Ted Arison, who was the majority owner, while managing the operations and day to day in the franchise run by Cunningham and Schaffel, shareholders minority.

In April of 1987, the committee of the expansion teams in the NBA supported the cities of Charlotte and Minneapolis. However, the committee ultimately decided by a franchise of Florida, Miami or Orlando. After all the process, the NBA finally decided to increase by 4 the number of teams, Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat debuting in the 1988-89 season while Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic will make it a year later, in the 1989-90 season.

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