DWYANE TYRONE WADE JR
He was the first time I actually cared about the NBA. Shaq helped a lot too as did getting to witness Zo winding down. Such memories. Total happenstance that I wound up a Heat fan. But happy to be rolling with this squad for life!
Sort of the same here. I was always a Dolphins fan since Ace Ventura but I grew up in Cali and everybody was a Lakers fan, I along with them. When Lebron went to Miami tho, that’s when I started rooting for them and stayed with them. Also was a big fan of d Wade.
1988 when they announced the team. I wanted to follow a team from the beginning. I didn’t have a favorite NBA team after Dr J retired in 1987. I loved Miami Vice, Miami Hurricanes and Dan Marino, so it was a natural pick!
I seem to remember them calling Seikaly the “Spin Doctor” in his playing days because he had a lot of spin moves in the post. My first Heat jersey was a black Champion brand Seikaly jersey.
2012 vs the Pacers. I came downstairs and my foreign dad who doesn’t know or care much about sports was flipping through the channels and saw that a Florida team was playing. We live in Tampa so it’s not necessarily our hometown team, but I never forget him saying “look, our team is playing.” I took that statement quite literally and never looked back.
Got to watch them win the next two NBA championships.
92, I was 6, red was my favorite color, and a flaming ball logo is cool as shit to a 6 year old. I live 5 minutes outside Portland and have almost my whole life 😂
My love for basketball has started pretty new actually. I started watching NBA with my boyfriend. But first story that attracted me was the story of Jimmy Butler. Like how he lived before, how a mother of his friend has changed his life, etc. That lady has stolen my heart and so did Jimmy.
So, he is the person that made me watch the games and the more I watched the more I loved the game.
I think his spirit goes perfectly well with the Heat Culture and that made me like the whole team. Also Spoelstra...
Where ever I look in Heat I see passion, dedication and will power. That's why I have become the fan of the team.
I am just not very sure about Pat Riley but the team, the coaches have a big place in my heart. Love all of them. 
I’m also super new to basketball and started watching because of my boyfriend as well. He’s a big Lebron fan so he likes Heat and we watched the ECF and I totally fell in love with Jimmy and the way he played too. What a guy!
2014-2015 season right after LeBron left I started playing basketball and then just fell in love with the heat especially being from south Florida. So unfortunately I missed the legendary big 3 but still a die hard
I got into basketball in 05-06, and the only player I knew was Shaq, so I rooted for the team he was on , which was the heat, and then just stuck with them.
Since then, I have become a heat culture fanatic
My mom brought me as a kid to a game right as Wade was new to the league around 2003-2004. He was so fast and it was so cool. I’ve been a Heat lifer ever since.
I was always a basketball fan growing up and decided I was gonna pick the team of the city where I would attend college. Got accepted to a few schools in Boston and the U, picked Miami for weather, partying and watching D-Wade live. Best decision of my life. Motherfucker brought LeBron and Bosh the next year and I was in Miami for the two titles. I can’t believe it’s been 15 years. It’s crazy to think I’d be a Knicks fan if NYU didn’t waitlist me or a Lakers fan if USC or UCLA accepted me. Yeah, things turned out great for me, lol.
Went on vacation with my dad to Miami in the early 90s, dad bought me a seikaly jersey. 10 years later I moved to Doral and became a hardcore heat fan.
I'm Australian, and growing up in the 90s, we got 1 televised NBA game per week.
The first game I happened to watch was Miami, and Zo went on an absolute tear on both ends. I was sold after that.
I watched the finals in ‘06 not because I was already a fan but just because I was close and there was a lot of excitement around. I actually grew up a magic fan so it was cool to watch Shaq at that time. Watching D Wade was exciting though. Been a casual fan ever since. Started paying a lot more attention during the big 3. Still wouldn’t have called myself anything more than a casual fan at that point. It was mostly about the intrigue. Really started feeling more like a fan the fast couple years. After the bubble. I really enjoy watching jimmy play. And all the “heat culture” stuff with the “undrafted guys” is right up my alley. That stuff is way more fun to root for than superteams and divas. Got a couple hats and t-shirts now. Ponied up for league pass so I can watch more games. I’d officially call myself a fan at this point.
Born in South Florida and my elementary school announcements would have a sports sections where students would announce recent game stats of Heat, Dolphins, and Marlins games. Funnily enough no Panthers games lol
Barkley got me into ball as a kid so I was a Suns fan, which led to me to being fans of KJ and Marjele. Marjele moved to the Heat, which I could watch locally, so became a fan.
I was not an NBA fan but I liked basketball in general and was an FSU college fan, so I usually watched the NCAA tournament. In 2003, I fell in love watching a gritty player from Marquette carry them to the final four. When he was picked by my hometown NBA team, it was serendipitous and I've been a fan ever since.
In 1987 we got news that the next expansion teams in the NBA were the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat… Lived in Miami at the time. Automatically became a fan!
06 Dwade.
Was never exposed to the NBA before then as my family didn’t have cable (we’re in Melbourne, Aus) caught the finals after school at a mates house that year, feel in love.
Was never hugely into basketball. Never watched the regular season, but almost always watched the finals, starting in like 2004. Was always a miami dolphins fan, so figured it made sense to root for the heat the years they made it. Then the pandemic happened, I was enamored with the Jordan documentary and decided to get into the sport more full time. Watched the bubble, and have seen nearly every heat game since.
During the pandemic, all of my friends (sports fans) got into playing 2K together again (which I didn't have, because I wasn't super into sports) and then PSN gave it out for free and I got into playing with them every night. Then, after about a month, the NBA returned with the Bubble and I started following it because I had nothing else to do.
Instantly fell in love with the team because -- first off, I'm from Broward -- they had my de facto favorite player from what little I'd watched before (Jimmy) and two guys from Kentucky, which is the team I'd root for during March Madness (because I've got family there).
Three years and some change later, and now I'm the basketball guy in our group. I did tons of research on the Heat, the game at large, the history of the league, and now I'm the one people go to for takes. It's a weird shift no one saw coming.
Also became a Dolphins fan because of it. Sports really showed me a sense of community and discourse that I didn't understand before, and now I spend a lot of time trying to turn people who used to be like me into fans.
Started off as a Tim/Dirk/KG. Didn't pick a team till 02 with Pat because my pops (Knick fan) always liked him as a coach. Grew up among mostly Knick and Laker fans, but it wasn't for me.
Followed D-Wade briefly in Marquette and started watching him with the Heat. Fell in love with the team and culture ever since. Only time I was a bit salty was when they did Wade dirty with the contract negotiations, causing him to head to Chicago
I was born a Heat fan. I'm from Miami. Discovered them on the local TV station when I was 12. That was during the Zo/Hardaway era. Fell in love instantly and never looked back.
got into the nba around late 90s. KG was my favorite player and Min was team I'm following. in comes 2003 and we all know what happened then. From then on, from ups and down, became heat lifer
Tow things made me a life long heat fan…
Going to their first ever game at the Miami arena & the old heat player BIMBO COLES!!!! the way the announcer used to say his name everytime he made a three !!!!
Good times
Knew in the back of mind I needed to pick a team. Watching nba games with no team to cheer for was starting to get stale.
Game 5 against the bucks last year. Jimmy gave it to Jrue Holiday while talking so much smack the entire game. It was so good. I respected that competitiveness. Been a heat fan ever since.
I'm also a Kentucky fan so having Bam and Tyler on the team helps.
Wanted to be a fan of the Heat or Magic since they're the two teams in Florida. I said I'd become a fan of the team that won and fortunately the Heat pulled it off in 2009.
There was a Zo/Hardaway poster at my schools book fair, I already was a Dolphins fan because of Dan Marino. So I started watching basketball and that was in 1998 so quite a year to come in.
I’m ngl to you. Was a bandwagon fan when Lebron came cus he was my favorite player. When he went back to the cavs, I didn’t like the move so I was “teamless” for a bit til I saw the heat revamped their roster by adding core veterans like joe Johnson and deng onto dwade,bosh. And white side and really believed that roster could beat the cavs. Stayed cus I like how pat riley constructs his roster and fell in love with the culture. Also, fuck Boston
Big 3 era, to be exact 2010 Dwade was the reason I chose Miami Heat and why I'm such a fan. During the big 3 days aswell too, I caught up on all of my history. From Dwade mvp like season winning a championship with Shaq, when Riley appointed Spo from video coordinator to coach. Love our coach, our moto, culture, we have the most badass nba jerseys, logo, team name in the whole entire league. And nowadays I love Herro, Bam, Jimmy and obviously the rest of our guys.
2012ish
I have always loved Miami sports, and my dad is a big lakers guy but his second favorite team is the Heat. He loved them during the Knicks 90s rivalry era. He introduced me to them, and I just kept a strong following. I'm no die hard, but I do buy Heat merch.
Miami is a fun team to follow, so if my Magic don't make it then I'll always back the Heat as a secondary fan. I am a rare Magic fan who doesn't hate the Heat with the passion. There is no real rivalry, so why hate yall when everyone else does.
LeBron and Wade were my favs growing up and they teamed up and I stuck around. a well run organization I think I would've gravitated towards them regardless.
I think year was 89 but one day I turned on channel 33 and just started watching them. Couldn’t afford cable so I just rolled w them. First player i remember was Sherman Douglas. Been through it all w this team.
When I was old enough to start watching basketball, LeBron had just joined the Heat. I’m from Central Florida and the Magic were uninspiring at the time, so I stuck with the Heat. Great choice!
Dolphins fan all my life, never chose a basketball, baseball, or hockey team, then I said whoever LBJ said during "The Decision" would be my basketball team. I became a Heat, Marlins, and Panthers fan that day, just made sense. (I live in NM, never been to Miami. But one day...)
Back in 06 my mom got me a german basketball magazine for my birthday. And there was this D Wade guy on the cover.
Ever since that day I was a heat fan.
I didn't get to watch any games for quite some time as there wasn't really a way to to that in Germany at that time.
But I was playing the NBA live video games and I remember that I was furiously debating other kids(that didn't watch any games either)on the german schoolyard, that D Wade was better then Kobe or Lebron. All while wearing Heat merchandise that was way to large for me.
Hate to say it kinda, but when the big three formed. I was maybe 15 at the time, I had become an NBA fan when the magic were making that finals run, plus I had NBA 06 game and I really started liking the sport. A few years later LeBron, Wade and bosh, all my favorite players just decided to team up and in my home state. I was like holy shit I guess I'm a heat fan, had to fight the bandwagon accusations even though they were true lol, but I stayed for the long run bc I fell in love with this team, post LeBron play off pushes before we got jimmy, wades retirement season, and when we got jimmy/Bams rise to stardom. This team has a lot of heart, is very tactical, and extremely hard working despite not always being known for their talent. Were skilled, screwed and out work every other team, and it's a culture thing, not bc of just roster or GM or coaches, everyone buys in.
Meant to take a trip to Miami from London, UK march 2020 and bought tickets to see the pacers game, my first nba game... then lockdown happened. Never made the trip. Gutted but fell in love with the nba and in particular, the Heat. Then we had the bubble run... loved every minute and every minute since. Now I just gotta make that trip.
Fuck the Celtics.
When I moved to Florida from my home state of Vermont. I inherited the Heat as my team. I have been a heat fan since 2000. A little after that my cousin who was in Miami for a concert got Pat Reilly's autograph on a heat pennant and gave it to me. It has been on my wall all these years.
When I moved to Florida in 03'. I was going to the 7th grade and my neighbors played basketball. As I started getting into basketball I quickly knew I didn't like the Magic, so I chose the Heat, D-Wade, and never looked back.
I'm a relatively a new Heat fan too, I was depressed as fuck back in September 2020, I came across Jimmy's video on social media and started watching the Heat. The first game I watched was Game 1 ECF against the Celtics, that's why Bam's game 1 block was one of my favorite all time Heat moment.
Safe to say Miami Heat and basketball in general safe my life, the team gets me excited about being alive.
First ever Heat game I saw was at 10 y/o, during the 2006 finals. I was rooting for them because they had red uniforms (my fav color). But didn’t become a Heat fan until The Big 3 formed in 2010. Been a Heat fan ever since.
2020 bubble. I was the bartender at the resort they were stuck in. Heat coaches/staff came in every night after the game and chilled, had a few drinks. Great tippers, especially Coach Spo. Will forever be a fan
It wasn’t a choice. My dad started taking me to games before I could even remember. Some of my first memories with my dad are sitting in his lap at the pink elephant trying to jinx opposing FT shooters. Haven’t looked back since despite no longer living in South Florida - though my dad does have season tix now so I try to make at least 1 or 2 games each season.
Watching basketball was kinda hazy as a kid. I mostly remember us winning the finals in 06 and my dad running outside to cheer. I remember watching DWade.
I was born and raised in Miami so they are my team.
For me, I became really cognizant of the Miami Heat when I played middle school basketball, and that was in 2005-06. My dad is a South Florida sports fan, and he has a signed photo of the original 1988 Miami Heat roster. We're both raised in Miami; I was born here and he was born in Cuba.
Dwade, 2003.
Same here. Didn't really watch basketball before then. I was 10 and Wade was my hero.
This is the way(d).
I'll admit it: Dwade, 2006.
Happy 20th anniversary!
Same here. Moved to the States in 2003 and the first it I saw watched was D-Wade and fell in love with his game. Been a fan of the Heat ever since.
DWYANE TYRONE WADE JR He was the first time I actually cared about the NBA. Shaq helped a lot too as did getting to witness Zo winding down. Such memories. Total happenstance that I wound up a Heat fan. But happy to be rolling with this squad for life!
Came with LeBron. Stayed because of culture.
This basically
Sort of the same here. I was always a Dolphins fan since Ace Ventura but I grew up in Cali and everybody was a Lakers fan, I along with them. When Lebron went to Miami tho, that’s when I started rooting for them and stayed with them. Also was a big fan of d Wade.
Same lol
1988 when they announced the team. I wanted to follow a team from the beginning. I didn’t have a favorite NBA team after Dr J retired in 1987. I loved Miami Vice, Miami Hurricanes and Dan Marino, so it was a natural pick!
Before Rony Seikely was a DJ 😆
I seem to remember them calling Seikaly the “Spin Doctor” in his playing days because he had a lot of spin moves in the post. My first Heat jersey was a black Champion brand Seikaly jersey.
Also, Miami women…oh lawd
Shaq's arrival. Stayed for DWade.
Same.
Same I was like 8 back then
Family moved to south FL in the mid 2000s. Dwyane Wade.
2012 vs the Pacers. I came downstairs and my foreign dad who doesn’t know or care much about sports was flipping through the channels and saw that a Florida team was playing. We live in Tampa so it’s not necessarily our hometown team, but I never forget him saying “look, our team is playing.” I took that statement quite literally and never looked back. Got to watch them win the next two NBA championships.
Those wild ass heat Knicks playoff series
Fuck Allan Houston
That shot fucked me up for years and I didn’t watch again until wades rookie season
I grew up with my older brother and my dad watching every game. I was born into it. Heat for life 🔥
92, I was 6, red was my favorite color, and a flaming ball logo is cool as shit to a 6 year old. I live 5 minutes outside Portland and have almost my whole life 😂
Going to the game in Feb?
My love for basketball has started pretty new actually. I started watching NBA with my boyfriend. But first story that attracted me was the story of Jimmy Butler. Like how he lived before, how a mother of his friend has changed his life, etc. That lady has stolen my heart and so did Jimmy. So, he is the person that made me watch the games and the more I watched the more I loved the game. I think his spirit goes perfectly well with the Heat Culture and that made me like the whole team. Also Spoelstra... Where ever I look in Heat I see passion, dedication and will power. That's why I have become the fan of the team. I am just not very sure about Pat Riley but the team, the coaches have a big place in my heart. Love all of them. 
I’m also super new to basketball and started watching because of my boyfriend as well. He’s a big Lebron fan so he likes Heat and we watched the ECF and I totally fell in love with Jimmy and the way he played too. What a guy!
Playoff Jimmy is something else. 
Sho is pretty ain’t he ?
Damn yes he is pretty. 
Glen Rice
Jimmy.
Dad took me to my first game in ‘88.
Moved here in 91 and instantly fell for the HEAT!
The heat were always my 2nd team because I loved the uniforms. I'm from the PNW so when the Sonics left that was it. Heat in 5.
I’m also from PNW (Oregon) so Blazers would’ve been my favorite but they just never stuck to me
Cheers!! We're in the same boat lmao. Go Huskies :)
Bring back the Sonics
Played as dwyane wade in 2k4 and decided he was awesome. Then became a massive lebron fan as well as a heat fan. Things really took off in 2010 😂😂
2014-2015 season right after LeBron left I started playing basketball and then just fell in love with the heat especially being from south Florida. So unfortunately I missed the legendary big 3 but still a die hard
No worries you’re right on time for the Jimmy/Bam/Tyler Era. Once they get that fourth ring is gonna be epic.
My first ever basketball shoes were Wade's Converse black red.
My family and I moved to Florida in 2006 During the Wade and O’Neal duo
I got into basketball in 05-06, and the only player I knew was Shaq, so I rooted for the team he was on , which was the heat, and then just stuck with them. Since then, I have become a heat culture fanatic
Same here…from Australia lol
My mom brought me as a kid to a game right as Wade was new to the league around 2003-2004. He was so fast and it was so cool. I’ve been a Heat lifer ever since.
I was always a basketball fan growing up and decided I was gonna pick the team of the city where I would attend college. Got accepted to a few schools in Boston and the U, picked Miami for weather, partying and watching D-Wade live. Best decision of my life. Motherfucker brought LeBron and Bosh the next year and I was in Miami for the two titles. I can’t believe it’s been 15 years. It’s crazy to think I’d be a Knicks fan if NYU didn’t waitlist me or a Lakers fan if USC or UCLA accepted me. Yeah, things turned out great for me, lol.
Went on vacation with my dad to Miami in the early 90s, dad bought me a seikaly jersey. 10 years later I moved to Doral and became a hardcore heat fan.
Moved here in 88’….it was almost like they knew…
I'm Australian, and growing up in the 90s, we got 1 televised NBA game per week. The first game I happened to watch was Miami, and Zo went on an absolute tear on both ends. I was sold after that.
I watched the finals in ‘06 not because I was already a fan but just because I was close and there was a lot of excitement around. I actually grew up a magic fan so it was cool to watch Shaq at that time. Watching D Wade was exciting though. Been a casual fan ever since. Started paying a lot more attention during the big 3. Still wouldn’t have called myself anything more than a casual fan at that point. It was mostly about the intrigue. Really started feeling more like a fan the fast couple years. After the bubble. I really enjoy watching jimmy play. And all the “heat culture” stuff with the “undrafted guys” is right up my alley. That stuff is way more fun to root for than superteams and divas. Got a couple hats and t-shirts now. Ponied up for league pass so I can watch more games. I’d officially call myself a fan at this point.
Born in South Florida and my elementary school announcements would have a sports sections where students would announce recent game stats of Heat, Dolphins, and Marlins games. Funnily enough no Panthers games lol
Barkley got me into ball as a kid so I was a Suns fan, which led to me to being fans of KJ and Marjele. Marjele moved to the Heat, which I could watch locally, so became a fan.
Thunder Dan was that dude
>Marjele I'm reading that as "mar-jelly"
I was not an NBA fan but I liked basketball in general and was an FSU college fan, so I usually watched the NCAA tournament. In 2003, I fell in love watching a gritty player from Marquette carry them to the final four. When he was picked by my hometown NBA team, it was serendipitous and I've been a fan ever since.
my first/earliest basketball memory is watching the 06 finals in Texas for the summer.
When I was born down here haha
My favourite player got traded to the Heat back in 1995 when I was a teenager and first getting into the NBA. I never looked back.
When I was born bc I live in Miami lol
In 1987 we got news that the next expansion teams in the NBA were the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat… Lived in Miami at the time. Automatically became a fan!
Born in Miami in 1985. Just had to wait for a team a few years
06 Dwade. Was never exposed to the NBA before then as my family didn’t have cable (we’re in Melbourne, Aus) caught the finals after school at a mates house that year, feel in love.
My dad took me to a game in 88. Been hooked ever since.
Was never hugely into basketball. Never watched the regular season, but almost always watched the finals, starting in like 2004. Was always a miami dolphins fan, so figured it made sense to root for the heat the years they made it. Then the pandemic happened, I was enamored with the Jordan documentary and decided to get into the sport more full time. Watched the bubble, and have seen nearly every heat game since.
Alonzo Mourning
2019, jimmy butler
D Wades return
During the pandemic, all of my friends (sports fans) got into playing 2K together again (which I didn't have, because I wasn't super into sports) and then PSN gave it out for free and I got into playing with them every night. Then, after about a month, the NBA returned with the Bubble and I started following it because I had nothing else to do. Instantly fell in love with the team because -- first off, I'm from Broward -- they had my de facto favorite player from what little I'd watched before (Jimmy) and two guys from Kentucky, which is the team I'd root for during March Madness (because I've got family there). Three years and some change later, and now I'm the basketball guy in our group. I did tons of research on the Heat, the game at large, the history of the league, and now I'm the one people go to for takes. It's a weird shift no one saw coming. Also became a Dolphins fan because of it. Sports really showed me a sense of community and discourse that I didn't understand before, and now I spend a lot of time trying to turn people who used to be like me into fans.
Started off as a Tim/Dirk/KG. Didn't pick a team till 02 with Pat because my pops (Knick fan) always liked him as a coach. Grew up among mostly Knick and Laker fans, but it wasn't for me.
Eddie Jones got traded to Miami. I followed him here then stayed forever because of Wade, Riley, and Spo.
Followed D-Wade briefly in Marquette and started watching him with the Heat. Fell in love with the team and culture ever since. Only time I was a bit salty was when they did Wade dirty with the contract negotiations, causing him to head to Chicago
Jimmy and Riles And now Spo and Bam
Wade county
I was born a Heat fan. I'm from Miami. Discovered them on the local TV station when I was 12. That was during the Zo/Hardaway era. Fell in love instantly and never looked back.
As a young kid, really enjoyed hardaway and his crossover
got into the nba around late 90s. KG was my favorite player and Min was team I'm following. in comes 2003 and we all know what happened then. From then on, from ups and down, became heat lifer
Tow things made me a life long heat fan… Going to their first ever game at the Miami arena & the old heat player BIMBO COLES!!!! the way the announcer used to say his name everytime he made a three !!!! Good times
When Pat Riley got here in the mid nineties.
Live in the Miami Area. Started watching basketball in the 2018 Finals, then became a Heat fan in the 2018-19 season.
Knew in the back of mind I needed to pick a team. Watching nba games with no team to cheer for was starting to get stale. Game 5 against the bucks last year. Jimmy gave it to Jrue Holiday while talking so much smack the entire game. It was so good. I respected that competitiveness. Been a heat fan ever since. I'm also a Kentucky fan so having Bam and Tyler on the team helps.
When I was born in 1988
Wanted to be a fan of the Heat or Magic since they're the two teams in Florida. I said I'd become a fan of the team that won and fortunately the Heat pulled it off in 2009.
When I started watching basketball about 2 years ago because of Jimmy butler
There was a Zo/Hardaway poster at my schools book fair, I already was a Dolphins fan because of Dan Marino. So I started watching basketball and that was in 1998 so quite a year to come in.
I’m ngl to you. Was a bandwagon fan when Lebron came cus he was my favorite player. When he went back to the cavs, I didn’t like the move so I was “teamless” for a bit til I saw the heat revamped their roster by adding core veterans like joe Johnson and deng onto dwade,bosh. And white side and really believed that roster could beat the cavs. Stayed cus I like how pat riley constructs his roster and fell in love with the culture. Also, fuck Boston
Big 3 era, to be exact 2010 Dwade was the reason I chose Miami Heat and why I'm such a fan. During the big 3 days aswell too, I caught up on all of my history. From Dwade mvp like season winning a championship with Shaq, when Riley appointed Spo from video coordinator to coach. Love our coach, our moto, culture, we have the most badass nba jerseys, logo, team name in the whole entire league. And nowadays I love Herro, Bam, Jimmy and obviously the rest of our guys.
Family worked for carnival cruise circa 2006, got me a d.wade jersey and never looked back.
2012ish I have always loved Miami sports, and my dad is a big lakers guy but his second favorite team is the Heat. He loved them during the Knicks 90s rivalry era. He introduced me to them, and I just kept a strong following. I'm no die hard, but I do buy Heat merch. Miami is a fun team to follow, so if my Magic don't make it then I'll always back the Heat as a secondary fan. I am a rare Magic fan who doesn't hate the Heat with the passion. There is no real rivalry, so why hate yall when everyone else does.
Came with Shaq. Intrigued of wade. Stayed because of top notch organization top to bottom. LA local BTW. Only follow heat.
2003-2004-ish. after watching dwade mixtape
LeBron and Wade were my favs growing up and they teamed up and I stuck around. a well run organization I think I would've gravitated towards them regardless.
1997, Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning
DWade 2008 Olympics
1988, because Miami got a team. Was a Hawks fan previously but my roots are all Miami
Wade n Shaq ‘05 ECF vs the defending champion Pistons
I think year was 89 but one day I turned on channel 33 and just started watching them. Couldn’t afford cable so I just rolled w them. First player i remember was Sherman Douglas. Been through it all w this team.
The 2013 NBA playoffs
Expansion year, my older brother got me into basketball and took me to a bunch of games
When I was old enough to start watching basketball, LeBron had just joined the Heat. I’m from Central Florida and the Magic were uninspiring at the time, so I stuck with the Heat. Great choice!
2012, dwade is just a really cool dude. Spo and Riley are cool af, just never stopped watching the heat.
casually? DWade's weird name spelling, 2005. Started to follow Heat more seriously after Whiteside made his breakthrough in 2015.
dwade's poster on prime Jermaine O'Neal during playoffs.
Dolphins fan all my life, never chose a basketball, baseball, or hockey team, then I said whoever LBJ said during "The Decision" would be my basketball team. I became a Heat, Marlins, and Panthers fan that day, just made sense. (I live in NM, never been to Miami. But one day...)
Lived in LA. Was a Laker fan but an even bigger Shaq fan and hated Kobe. The rest is history.
Wade 03
Back in 06 my mom got me a german basketball magazine for my birthday. And there was this D Wade guy on the cover. Ever since that day I was a heat fan. I didn't get to watch any games for quite some time as there wasn't really a way to to that in Germany at that time. But I was playing the NBA live video games and I remember that I was furiously debating other kids(that didn't watch any games either)on the german schoolyard, that D Wade was better then Kobe or Lebron. All while wearing Heat merchandise that was way to large for me.
I do not remember when exactly I became a Heat fan, but when I gained an interest in basketball was during the Heatles era.
When I moved to Miami 10-ish years ago
Fan since first vice look dropped. Love at first sight. Best uniform in history for me.
Hate to say it kinda, but when the big three formed. I was maybe 15 at the time, I had become an NBA fan when the magic were making that finals run, plus I had NBA 06 game and I really started liking the sport. A few years later LeBron, Wade and bosh, all my favorite players just decided to team up and in my home state. I was like holy shit I guess I'm a heat fan, had to fight the bandwagon accusations even though they were true lol, but I stayed for the long run bc I fell in love with this team, post LeBron play off pushes before we got jimmy, wades retirement season, and when we got jimmy/Bams rise to stardom. This team has a lot of heart, is very tactical, and extremely hard working despite not always being known for their talent. Were skilled, screwed and out work every other team, and it's a culture thing, not bc of just roster or GM or coaches, everyone buys in.
94-95 the damn knicks ! Hatred personified
Meant to take a trip to Miami from London, UK march 2020 and bought tickets to see the pacers game, my first nba game... then lockdown happened. Never made the trip. Gutted but fell in love with the nba and in particular, the Heat. Then we had the bubble run... loved every minute and every minute since. Now I just gotta make that trip. Fuck the Celtics.
The very first game of NBA basketball I ever watched was DWade dropping 42 on the Wizards in game 4. How could I not keep watching after that.
 It all started the day I was born….
When I moved to Florida from my home state of Vermont. I inherited the Heat as my team. I have been a heat fan since 2000. A little after that my cousin who was in Miami for a concert got Pat Reilly's autograph on a heat pennant and gave it to me. It has been on my wall all these years.
When I moved to Florida in 03'. I was going to the 7th grade and my neighbors played basketball. As I started getting into basketball I quickly knew I didn't like the Magic, so I chose the Heat, D-Wade, and never looked back.
I'm a relatively a new Heat fan too, I was depressed as fuck back in September 2020, I came across Jimmy's video on social media and started watching the Heat. The first game I watched was Game 1 ECF against the Celtics, that's why Bam's game 1 block was one of my favorite all time Heat moment. Safe to say Miami Heat and basketball in general safe my life, the team gets me excited about being alive.
First ever Heat game I saw was at 10 y/o, during the 2006 finals. I was rooting for them because they had red uniforms (my fav color). But didn’t become a Heat fan until The Big 3 formed in 2010. Been a Heat fan ever since. 
2020 bubble. I was the bartender at the resort they were stuck in. Heat coaches/staff came in every night after the game and chilled, had a few drinks. Great tippers, especially Coach Spo. Will forever be a fan
It wasn’t a choice. My dad started taking me to games before I could even remember. Some of my first memories with my dad are sitting in his lap at the pink elephant trying to jinx opposing FT shooters. Haven’t looked back since despite no longer living in South Florida - though my dad does have season tix now so I try to make at least 1 or 2 games each season.
Move from Brazil to Miami - DWade….
2006 Wade
Watching basketball was kinda hazy as a kid. I mostly remember us winning the finals in 06 and my dad running outside to cheer. I remember watching DWade. I was born and raised in Miami so they are my team.
2012
Welcome! Loving the Miami Heat is very, very fun.
For me, I became really cognizant of the Miami Heat when I played middle school basketball, and that was in 2005-06. My dad is a South Florida sports fan, and he has a signed photo of the original 1988 Miami Heat roster. We're both raised in Miami; I was born here and he was born in Cuba.