The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts is set to enshrine a new class of honorees on Saturday. Among those being enshrined will be longtime Miami Heat owner Micky Arison.
On Friday, the day before his addition to the Hall of Fame, Arison looked back on the three championships he’s won during his time with the Heat organization.
“I would just say I’m appreciative,” Arison said of joining the Hall of Fame. “It is an honor. … It was never a goal. Our goal was to win championships. Was fortunate enough to win three. Our goal was to create a fantastic atmosphere in Miami. Most great NBA players, coaches it’s a goal for them. It’s never been a goal for me. Despite that, I’m extremely appreciative.”
Arison has been the owner of the Heat for three decades now, as he assumed control of the team back in 1995. Not long after he took over the reins, he decided to hire Pat Riley, and Riley is still working for the team all these years later as the team president.
The Heat won their three titles under Arison’s ownership in 2006, 2012 and 2013.
Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal were a dynamic duo during Miami’s first championship run in 2006. In the 2006 NBA Playoffs, O’Neal nearly averaged a double-double with 18.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, while Wade averaged a team-high 28.4 points per contest on 49.7 percent shooting from the floor.
Miami’s two most recent titles came during its Big 3 era in the early 2010s. With LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining Wade on the Heat, the team beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals and then the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 championship series.
The Heat have cemented themselves as a marquee organization over the last 20 or so years, but Arison and company are surely looking to add to the team’s collection of rings in the years to come. Miami seems far away from contending for a championship right now, but it does have a solid young core.
Even if the Heat probably won’t win the 2026 NBA title, hopefully they will at least show improvement compared to the season prior. Miami just barely made the playoffs a season ago and proceeded to get swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening round after qualifying.