The Miami Heat jerseys donned by fans have boasted some of the most legendary names in basketball history: Dan Majerle, Glen Rice, Rony Seikaly, Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal, Gary Payton, LeBron James, and of course, franchise superstar Dwayne Wade. With over 25 years of history on the court, the Heat have cycled through quite a few jerseys in its time as a team. Let’s take a look at how the red, white, and black threads have evolved through the years.
1998-1999
At the Miami Heat’s inception in 1988, the players were given simple white uniforms with red and orange trim on the right side only for their home games. Their away-game jerseys were black with white, red, and orange trim, reminiscent of the Chicago Bulls color scheme at the time. The uniforms utilized the font from the original Los Angeles Lakers jerseys and featured the classic flaming ball logo on the bottom left side of the shorts and the word “Miami” on the right. The white home uniform was reintroduced to celebrate the Heat’s 20th anniversary, while the black away jersey was featured for their 25th anniversary. In the 1995-96 season, Miami unveiled their first new uniform in seven years. The team added an alternate jersey in red with black and white trim.
Next: 1999-2000
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]
1999-2000
During the 1999-2000 season, the Heat made some changes to their threads. The jerseys, which are the original version of those used today, used a different font with updated block lettering, and added stripes to the left side. They also swapped the orange trim for a bolder yellow, and modified the flaming ball logo on the right side of the shorts. Finally, they changed the neckline to an eye-catching V-neck, instead of the plain u-shaped collars of the past.
Next: 2001-2002
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]
2001-2002
In 2001 the Heat revamped their alternate, all red uniform. This uniform stated the city name for the very first time in white letters with a black outline.
Next: 2005-2006
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]
2005-2006
In 2005, Miami decided to pay tribute to Florida’s original basketball team, the Miami Floridians, as a part of the NBA’s tribute to the ABA, by wearing their home jerseys, an all black uniform with an orange and pink stripe running down the left side. Although the Heat have no formal affiliation with the Floridians, they paid homage to the ABA team by wearing the jerseys for a limited number of games.
Next: 2011-2012
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]
2011-2012
Again, the Heat honored the Floridians by wearing their away jersey as a “throwback” uniform. The players participated in a vintage-themed promotional photo shoot honoring the history of basketball and promoting the team.
Next: 2012-2013
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]
2012-2013
In the 2012-2013 season the Heat unveiled their “White Hot” jersey, the first of a series of solid color schemes, as a new home alternate to promote their dual championship runs. The uniform resembles the Heat’s current all-white home uniform, but the lettering, numbers, and logos are traced in black. They also released an all black away jersey, with black lettering and a white outline; the opposite of the “White Hot” jersey. As a final installation to the solid color scheme, the Heat wore an all-red uniform introduced on Christmas Day in 2013. The uniform is usually referred to as “Big Color” and features all white lettering.
Next: Nickname Uniforms
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]
2013-2014 (Nickname Uniforms)
One thing most Floridians can appreciate about the Heat is their sense of humor (Harlem Shake, anyone?) In January, 2014, the Heat wore uniforms that displayed their individual nicknames on the back of their jerseys while playing against the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets.
Next: Noche Latina
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]
2013-2014 (Noche Latina)
During the NBA’s Noche Latina promotion, or “Latin Night,” the Heat wore their away jerseys with the title “El Heat” to commemorate the occasion and show their support for the Latin culture of Miami.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-Ad”]