Miami Heat
On this Day - 1988 The Expansion Miami Heat finally claim their first victory as a franchise. After a 0-17 start, the Heat were able to squeak out a 1 point win over the Los Angeles Clippers 89-88. Grant Long, Pat Cummings, & Billy Thompson each scored 15 for the victorious Heat. Danny Manning led the Clippers with 23.
The 1st selection in Miami Heat History. Rony Seikaly
June 23, 1988 - With the 1st selection in the NBA Expansion Draft the Miami Heat select F Arvid Kramer. Huh? Who? Kramer was originally selected out of tiny Augustana University all the way back in 1979 by the Utah Jazz. His last NBA Appearance was in 1980 when he barely broke a sweat in 8 games for the Denver Nuggets. So, why would the Heat spend the 1st selection on Arvid? Well they had a backroom deal in place with the Dallas Mavericks who hoped to hold onto three other unprotected players in the expansion draft. (Bill Wennington, Jim Farmer and Steve Alford) The Heat agreed to select Kramer # 1 in exchange for the Mavericks 1st round pick in 1988. (20th overall) He never played for the Heat.
With the 2nd selection the other newly hatched franchise, the Charlotte Hornets, selected shooting guard Dell Curry who had spent the previous season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Miami would finish 15-67 while the Hornets fared slightly better at 20-62.
Put on your thinking caps Blaze fans & try your hand at some Miami Heat trivia.
24 pages. Staple Bound. 7.5” x 5”
Edition of # 25
We’ve got another fun Blaze NBA All-Star Factoid for you guys on this Fabulous Friday. With their respective wins in the 1995 Dunk Contest & 3-Point Shootout, Miami Heat stars Harold Miner & Glen Rice became the first & last set of teammates to sweep the NBA All-Star Weekend Saturday night contests.
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That’s Right! The 1st Image of ‘Baby Jordan’ has him wearing the # 32. That image is from his previous Dunk Contest Victory back in 1993. Harold switched to the # 4 for the 1994-95 season.
In a game against the Los Angeles Clippers, on November 5, 1988, Guard Rory Sparrow scored the first points in Heat history. Sparrow went on to average a career-high 12.5 points that season.
Glen Rice led the 1991-1992 Miami Heat to the young Franchises first playoff appearance. The Heat squeaked in as the #8 seed in the East with a 38-44 record where they were swept by the Eventual Champion Chicago Bulls. That season ‘G-Money’ averaged over 22 points a game, and was second in the league in 3 pointers made with 155. Happy B-day Glen!
