Miami Heat lost the first 17 games of its 1988-89 introduction season, setting an NBA record for the largest part losses to start a season. Finishing the year with a 15-67 win-loss record, Miami Heat used its poor end to its advantage, choosing forward Glen Rice and guard Sherman Douglas in the 1989 NBA draft. The club’s record gradually improved over the next few years. Throughout the 1991-92 season the team registered a 38-44 record, be eligible for its first playoff appearance. The inexperienced Miami Heat, however, were defeated by the Chicago Bulls in the first round in three straight games.

The Miami Heat returned to the playoffs in 1993-94 by posting a 42-40 win-loss record, the Miami Heat team’s first winning season. Rice led the team in offense, scoring 21.1 points per game. In the playoffs Miami Heat lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, three games to two. The Miami Heat made some personnel moves during the 1994-95 seasons, trading Seikaly and Long and adding forward-center Kevin Willis to the roster. The Miami Heat team’s ownership also changed when the Arison family bought out together Schaffel and Cunningham for controlling interest of the franchise. In spite of the changes and the high scoring of both Willis and Rice, the team finished the season with a proof of 32-50.

The Miami Heat then hired former New York Knicks coach Pat Riley to guide the club beginning with the 1995-96 season. The club also traded Rice to the Charlotte Hornets for center Alonzo Mourning. The effort to retool the team for the late 1990s continued, and by the season’s end only one player remained from the previous year’s roster. The Heat finished the campaign 42-40 and lost to the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. The Miami Heat entered the NBA in 1988 when the league granted an expansion team franchise to a group of investors. The franchise used its 1988 draft picks to select center Rony Seikaly, guard Kevin Edwards, and forward Grant Long.

The Miami Heat then hired former New York Knicks coach Pat Riley to guide the club beginning with the 1995-96 season. The club also traded Rice to the Charlotte Hornets for center Alonzo Mourning. The attempt to retool the team for the late 1990s sustained, and by the season's end only one player remained from the previous year's roster. The Miami Heat finished the campaign 42-40 and lost to the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

In 2000 The Miami Heat were dealt a main blow before the season even began as Alonzo Mourning with the kidney disarray focal glomerulosclerosis after returning home from the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a gold medal. Pat Riley would attain a milestone, as he became just the second coach to win 1,000 games as the Miami Heat beat the Orlando Magic on opening night 105-79. Riley would do maybe his best coaching job as the Miami Heat continued to play strong basketball, the Miami Heat went on to finish in 2nd place with a solid 50-32 record.

In 2003 Prior to the begin of the season the Miami Heat were stunned when Coach Pat Riley decided to go into the front office letting longtime assistant Stan Van Gundy take over on the bench. The Miami Heat made it to the playoffs and faced the New Orleans Hornets in the initial round of the playoffs they however lost the 2nd Round to the Indiana Pacers.

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Beasley returns to practice with Heat summer team (AP)

Michael Beasley returned to practice with the Miami Heat on Thursday, one day after the No. 2 overall pick in last week's NBA draft was knocked out of his first official summer-league workout with a chest bruise. Beasley was inadvertently elbowed by a teammate during a defensive drill about 45 minutes after Miami opened its summer-league camp Wednesday morning.

Beasley-Rose meet in Orlando summer league game (Yahoo! Sports) After he was selected second overall by the Miami Heat , forward Michael Beasley said one of his first goals was...

Heat seeking short-term solutions at point guard (Yahoo! Sports) The Miami Heat will take a short-term approach to filling its voids. Any potential targets would essentially be...

Heat Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

The Heat did the expected by taking Kansas State forward Michael Beasley with the No. 2 pick in the draft. So much for all the chatter about Miami being interested in USC's O.J. Mayo and Arizona's Jerryd Bayless.

Miami also traded with Minnesota to acquire Kansas guard Mario Chalmers, the Timberwolves' second-round pick (No. 34 overall). The Heat picked Kansas forward Darnell Jackson with the 52nd overall selection and traded him to Cleveland for a second-round pick in 2009.

In Beasley, the 6-8 power forward from Kansas State, the Heat got an excellent talent who also can play small forward. But this decision wasn't a slam dunk. Heat president Pat Riley said he was tempted to "multiply" the pick, meaning trade it for multiple players.

"In the end, the people who I...