The Miami Heat need a statue garden. A place where fans can see busts of great players that are not Dwayne Wade. Dwayne Wade is the greatest Heat player in franchise history. He is the only that should have a statue. Look at my article here on our site about Wade’s statue dedication. However, there are great players in Heat history that also should be celebrated.
Statue Garden vs. Ring of Honor vs. Jersey retirement
Look at this article here from the Varsity about how the NBA memorializes players. A player garden would fit the “Heat Culture” theme. Forget about the discussion/debate of “who should get their jersey retired next?” A “Ring of Honor” doesn’t necessarily fit in the Kaseya Center because those areas are for LED advertisements. The five players below would have their busts (or statues) in a sitting area around the arena where fans could admire.
#5 Lebron James
Lebron was the leader of the “Heatles”. He led the team, but he ran out in 2014 to Cleveland. Therefore, he loses the ability to be higher on the list. Look at this article here from the Miami Herald last year. He said that his four years with the Heat didn’t shape him as a player. But, he learned a lot. Lebron wanted to do whatever he wanted. Miami didn’t fit him long term.
#4 Chris Bosh
The player who had the greatest block in the history of the franchise. The Heat would’ve won at least two more titles if Bosh hadn’t gotten blood clots. He was picked ahead of Dwayne Wade in the 2003 draft. He was an All-Star in Toronto. He could’ve stayed. Heat fans got an Alpha who decided to play a supporting role.
Wade and Lebron wouldn’t have been as successful without Bosh. Lebron used Kevin Love in Cleveland to fill the role that Bosh perfected in Miami. It won him another title in Cleveland. Bosh’s contribution to Heat Culture should never be forgotten in Miami.
#3 Keith Askins
A tie-in to the “pre-Pat Riley era’ and the proto-Heat culture player. Askins represents “Heat Culture.” So, kids that come to celebrate the busts of these players, they would know who they modeled themselves after. Read this article here when he was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Askins played all nine years with the Heat and then has stayed as a coach.
#2 Alonzo Mourning
The first great player in Heat history. He joined Keith Askins to define, “Heat Culture.” Every Heat fan wanted to wear either a #33 Mourning jersey or a #10 Hardaway jersey in the early 90’s. He left in the early 00’s to New Jersey but never played a game for them. He hasn’t left the Heat since. He has a high school named after he and his wife (Alonzo & Tracy Mourning High school.)
#1 Udonis Haslem
The man that took “Heat Culture” and exemplified its meaning through the roof. He was born in Miami. He went to school in Miami. Took a “trip through the wilderness” at the start of his basketball career, finally joining the Heat. He is the team’s all-time rebounder and he is 6’8.”
