1995–96 Miami Heat season
| 1995–96 Miami Heat season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Pat Riley |
| President | Pat Riley |
| General manager | Dave Wohl |
| Owner | Micky Arison |
| Arena | Miami Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 42–40 (.512) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Atlantic) Conference: 8th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to Bulls 0–3) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WBFS-TV Sunshine Network |
| Radio | WINZ |
The 1995–96 Miami Heat season was the eighth season for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association.[1] The Heat received the tenth overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft, and selected power forward Kurt Thomas out of Texas Christian University,[2][3][4] and acquired Rex Chapman from the Washington Bullets during the off-season.[5][6][7] Under new head coach, and team president Pat Riley, the Heat would be restructured;[8][9][10] on the first day of the regular season, which began on November 3, 1995, the team acquired All-Star center Alonzo Mourning from the Charlotte Hornets.[11][12][13]
Under Riley, and with the addition of Mourning, Chapman and Thomas, the Heat won 11 of their first 14 games of the regular season, but then lost 23 of their next 34 games, holding a 22–26 at the All-Star break.[14] Riley continued to make changes as he made three more deals at the trading deadline. The team traded Kevin Willis, and Bimbo Coles to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for All-Star guard Tim Hardaway, and Chris Gatling,[15][16][17] traded Billy Owens, and Kevin Gamble to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Walt Williams, and Tyrone Corbin, and then dealt rookie point guard Terrence Rencher to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Tony Smith.[15][18][19] The team also signed free agents Jeff Malone, who was previously released by the Philadelphia 76ers, and rookie shooting guard Voshon Lenard, who previously played in the Continental Basketball Association.[20]
The flurry of deadline deals led to one notable highlight of the season, as the Heat only had eight players available to face the Chicago Bulls at the Miami Arena on February 23, 1996, but won by a score of 113–104, thanks mainly to a 39-point performance by Chapman; this was one of only 10 losses the Bulls suffered on their way to a then-record 72-win season.[21][22][23] With the addition of Hardaway, Gatling and Williams, the Heat played above .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the regular season, winning 10 of their 14 games in March, and then winning five of their final seven games. The team finished in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 42–40 record, which earned them the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, as they qualified for their third NBA playoff appearance.[24][25]
Mourning averaged 23.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, while Hardaway averaged 17.2 points, 10.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game in 28 games after the trade, and Gatling played a sixth man role off the bench, as he provided the team with 15.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in 24 games. In addition, Chapman contributed 14.0 points per game, and led the Heat with 125 three-point field goals, but only played 56 games due to an Achilles tendon injury,[26][27][28] while rookie shooting guard Sasha Danilovic contributed 13.4 points per game, but only played just 19 games due to a wrist injury,[29][30] Williams averaged 12.0 points per game in 28 games, Thomas provided with 9.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and Keith Askins contributed 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.[31]
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Mourning was selected for the 1996 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team,[32][33][34] while Thomas was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference Rookie team.[35][36] Mourning also finished in 14th place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Gatling finished tied in seventh place in Sixth Man of the Year voting.[37]
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1996 NBA playoffs, the Heat faced off against the top–seeded, and Central Division champion Bulls, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Michael Jordan, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, and rebound-specialist Dennis Rodman. The Heat lost the first two games to the Bulls on the road at the United Center, before losing Game 3 at home, 112–91 at the Miami Arena, thus losing the series in a three-game sweep.[38][39][40] The Bulls would defeat the Seattle SuperSonics in six games in the 1996 NBA Finals, winning their fourth NBA championship in six years.[41][42][43]
The Heat finished 25th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 606,088 at the Miami Arena during the regular season, which was the fifth-lowest in the league.[31][44] Following the season, Chapman signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Suns,[45][46][47] while Williams signed with the Toronto Raptors,[48][49][50] Gatling signed with the Dallas Mavericks,[51][52][53] Corbin signed with the Atlanta Hawks,[54][55] Smith signed with the Charlotte Hornets,[56] and Malone retired.
For the season, the Heat added new red alternate road uniforms, which would remain in use until 1999.[57]
Offseason
NBA draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Kurt Thomas | PF/C | United States | TCU |
| 2 | 46 | George Banks | F | United States | UTEP |
Roster
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
|
Regular season
Season standings
| Atlantic Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y–Orlando Magic | 60 | 22 | .732 | 12.0 | 37–4 | 23–18 | 21–3 | 82 |
| x–New York Knicks | 47 | 35 | .573 | 25.0 | 26–15 | 21–20 | 16–8 | 82 |
| x–Miami Heat | 42 | 40 | .512 | 30.0 | 26–15 | 16–25 | 13–12 | 82 |
| Washington Bullets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 33.0 | 25–16 | 14–27 | 10–14 | 82 |
| Boston Celtics | 33 | 49 | .402 | 39.0 | 18–23 | 15–26 | 12–12 | 82 |
| New Jersey Nets | 30 | 52 | .366 | 42.0 | 20–21 | 10–31 | 8–17 | 82 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 18 | 64 | .220 | 54.0 | 11–30 | 7–34 | 5–19 | 82 |
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | z–Chicago Bulls | 72 | 10 | .878 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y–Orlando Magic | 60 | 22 | .732 | 12.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x–Indiana Pacers | 52 | 30 | .634 | 20.0 | 82 |
| 4 | x–Cleveland Cavaliers | 47 | 35 | .573 | 25.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x–New York Knicks | 47 | 35 | .573 | 25.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x–Atlanta Hawks | 46 | 36 | .561 | 26.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x–Detroit Pistons | 46 | 36 | .561 | 26.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x–Miami Heat | 42 | 40 | .512 | 30.0 | 82 |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | 41 | 41 | .500 | 31.0 | 82 |
| 10 | Washington Bullets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 33.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Boston Celtics | 33 | 49 | .402 | 39.0 | 82 |
| 12 | New Jersey Nets | 30 | 52 | .366 | 42.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Milwaukee Bucks | 25 | 57 | .305 | 47.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Toronto Raptors | 21 | 61 | .256 | 51.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Philadelphia 76ers | 18 | 64 | .220 | 54.0 | 82 |
Schedule
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Heat points | Opponents | Record | Streak | OT |
| 1 | November 4 | Cleveland | Win | 85 | 71 | 1-0 | Won 1 | |
| 2 | November 8 | Houston | Win | 89 | 82 | 2-0 | Won 2 | |
| 3 | November 10 | New Jersey | Win | 106 | 80 | 3-0 | Won 3 | |
| 4 | November 11 | @ Orlando | Loss | 93 | 94 | 3-1 | Lost 1 | |
| 5 | November 15 | Indiana | Loss | 97 | 103 | 3-2 | Lost 2 | |
| 6 | November 17 | @ Atlanta | Win | 91 | 88 | 4-2 | Won 1 | |
| 7 | November 18 | Orlando | Win | 93 | 90 | 5-2 | Won 2 | |
| 8 | November 22 | Golden State | Win | 103 | 93 | 6-2 | Won 3 | |
| 9 | November 24 | @ Washington | Loss | 94 | 110 | 6-3 | Lost 1 | |
| 10 | November 25 | Vancouver | Win | 111 | 91 | 7-3 | Won 1 | |
| 11 | November 28 | Dallas | Win | 111 | 89 | 8-3 | Won 2 | |
| 12 | November 30 | @ Detroit | Win | 118 | 107 | 9-3 | Won 3 | |
| 13 | December 1 | Charlotte | Win | 108 | 101 | 10-3 | Won 4 | OT |
| 14 | December 3 | @ Toronto | Win | 112 | 94 | 11-3 | Won 5 | |
| 15 | December 4 | @ Boston | Loss | 120 | 121 | 11-4 | Lost 1 | 2OT |
| 16 | December 6 | Boston | Loss | 101 | 105 | 11-5 | Lost 2 | |
| 17 | December 9 | @ Phoenix | Win | 94 | 92 | 12-5 | Won 1 | |
| 18 | December 10 | @ Sacramento | Loss | 90 | 110 | 12-6 | Lost 1 | |
| 19 | December 12 | @ Golden State | Loss | 80 | 105 | 12-7 | Lost 2 | |
| 20 | December 14 | @ LA Clippers | Loss | 84 | 89 | 12-8 | Lost 3 | |
| 21 | December 16 | Utah | Loss | 74 | 83 | 12-9 | Lost 4 | |
| 22 | December 19 | @ New York | Loss | 70 | 89 | 12-10 | Lost 5 | |
| 23 | December 20 | @ New Jersey | Win | 112 | 104 | 13-10 | Won 1 | OT |
| 24 | December 22 | Detroit | Loss | 75 | 84 | 13-11 | Lost 1 | |
| 25 | December 23 | @ Charlotte | Loss | 75 | 87 | 13-12 | Lost 2 | |
| 26 | December 26 | New Jersey | Win | 96 | 93 | 14-12 | Won 1 | |
| 27 | December 28 | @ Indiana | Loss | 77 | 91 | 14-13 | Lost 1 | |
| 28 | December 30 | LA Clippers | Win | 105 | 96 | 15-13 | Won 1 | |
| 29 | January 4 | Seattle | Loss | 81 | 84 | 15-14 | Lost 1 | |
| 30 | January 6 | @ Denver | Win | 88 | 86 | 16-14 | Won 1 | |
| 31 | January 8 | @ Utah | Loss | 92 | 94 | 16-15 | Lost 1 | |
| 32 | January 10 | @ Portland | Loss | 89 | 90 | 16-16 | Lost 2 | |
| 33 | January 12 | @ Seattle | Loss | 81 | 113 | 16-17 | Lost 3 | |
| 34 | January 13 | @ Vancouver | Loss | 65 | 69 | 16-18 | Lost 4 | |
| 35 | January 15 | @ LA Lakers | Loss | 88 | 96 | 16-19 | Lost 5 | |
| 36 | January 17 | Washington | Win | 96 | 89 | 17-19 | Won 1 | |
| 37 | January 19 | Charlotte | Loss | 106 | 114 | 17-20 | Lost 1 | |
| 38 | January 20 | @ Atlanta | Loss | 78 | 98 | 17-21 | Lost 2 | |
| 39 | January 22 | San Antonio | Win | 96 | 89 | 18-21 | Won 1 | |
| 40 | January 24 | New York | Loss | 79 | 88 | 18-22 | Lost 1 | |
| 41 | January 26 | @ Chicago | Loss | 80 | 102 | 18-23 | Lost 2 | |
| 42 | January 27 | @ Cleveland | Win | 102 | 85 | 19-23 | Won 1 | |
| 43 | January 29 | @ New York | Loss | 85 | 94 | 19-24 | Lost 1 | |
| 44 | January 30 | Phoenix | Loss | 99 | 114 | 19-25 | Lost 2 | |
| 45 | February 1 | Philadelphia | Win | 124 | 104 | 20-25 | Won 1 | |
| 46 | February 3 | Boston | Loss | 99 | 100 | 20-26 | Lost 1 | |
| 47 | February 5 | Sacramento | Win | 103 | 92 | 21-26 | Won 1 | |
| 48 | February 7 | Atlanta | Win | 101 | 89 | 22-26 | Won 2 | |
| 49 | February 13 | Toronto | Loss | 87 | 98 | 22-27 | Lost 1 | |
| 50 | February 15 | Denver | Win | 97 | 91 | 23-27 | Won 1 | |
| 51 | February 17 | Orlando | Loss | 93 | 95 | 23-28 | Lost 1 | |
| 52 | February 19 | @ Cleveland | Loss | 70 | 73 | 23-29 | Lost 2 | |
| 53 | February 21 | @ Philadelphia | Win | 66 | 57 | 24-29 | Won 1 | |
| 54 | February 23 | Chicago | Win | 113 | 104 | 25-29 | Won 2 | |
| 55 | February 25 | Philadelphia | Win | 108 | 101 | 26-29 | Won 3 | |
| 56 | February 27 | @ New Jersey | Win | 93 | 90 | 27-29 | Won 4 | |
| 57 | February 28 | @ Orlando | Loss | 112 | 116 | 27-30 | Lost 1 | |
| 58 | March 1 | Portland | Loss | 88 | 102 | 27-31 | Lost 2 | |
| 59 | March 3 | @ Minnesota | Loss | 87 | 89 | 27-32 | Lost 3 | |
| 60 | March 5 | Minnesota | Win | 113 | 72 | 28-32 | Won 1 | |
| 61 | March 8 | Toronto | Win | 109 | 79 | 29-32 | Won 2 | |
| 62 | March 10 | Cleveland | Win | 88 | 81 | 30-32 | Won 3 | |
| 63 | March 12 | @ Dallas | Win | 125 | 118 | 31-32 | Won 4 | |
| 64 | March 14 | @ San Antonio | Loss | 100 | 120 | 31-33 | Lost 1 | |
| 65 | March 16 | @ Houston | Win | 121 | 97 | 32-33 | Won 1 | |
| 66 | March 20 | Detroit | Win | 102 | 93 | 33-33 | Won 2 | |
| 67 | March 22 | @ Milwaukee | Win | 122 | 106 | 34-33 | Won 3 | |
| 68 | March 24 | @ Boston | Win | 111 | 95 | 35-33 | Won 4 | |
| 69 | March 27 | LA Lakers | Loss | 95 | 106 | 35-34 | Lost 1 | |
| 70 | March 29 | Washington | Win | 112 | 93 | 36-34 | Won 1 | |
| 71 | March 30 | @ Detroit | Win | 95 | 85 | 37-34 | Won 2 | |
| 72 | April 2 | Chicago | Loss | 92 | 110 | 37-35 | Lost 1 | |
| 73 | April 4 | @ Chicago | Loss | 92 | 100 | 37-36 | Lost 2 | |
| 74 | April 6 | @ Indiana | Loss | 95 | 99 | 37-37 | Lost 3 | |
| 75 | April 8 | @ Washington | Loss | 99 | 111 | 37-38 | Lost 4 | |
| 76 | April 10 | @ Charlotte | Win | 116 | 95 | 38-38 | Won 1 | |
| 77 | April 11 | Milwaukee | Win | 115 | 105 | 39-38 | Won 2 | |
| 78 | April 13 | New York | Win | 103 | 95 | 40-38 | Won 3 | |
| 79 | April 15 | New Jersey | Win | 110 | 90 | 41-38 | Won 4 | |
| 80 | April 17 | @ Philadelphia | Loss | 86 | 90 | 41-39 | Lost 1 | |
| 81 | April 19 | @ Milwaukee | Win | 106 | 100 | 42-39 | Won 1 | |
| 82 | April 21 | Atlanta | Loss | 92 | 104 | 42-40 | Lost 1 |
Playoffs
| 1996 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First round: 0–3 (home: 0–1; road: 0–2)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player statistics
Ragular season
| Player | POS | GP | GS | MP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Askins | SF | 75 | 14 | 1,897 | 324 | 121 | 48 | 61 | 458 | 25.3 | 4.3 | 1.6 | .6 | .8 | 6.1 |
| Kurt Thomas | PF | 74 | 42 | 1,655 | 439 | 46 | 47 | 36 | 666 | 22.4 | 5.9 | .6 | .6 | .5 | 9.0 |
| Alonzo Mourning | C | 70 | 70 | 2,671 | 727 | 159 | 70 | 189 | 1,623 | 38.2 | 10.4 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 23.2 |
| Rex Chapman | SG | 56 | 50 | 1,865 | 145 | 166 | 45 | 10 | 786 | 33.3 | 2.6 | 3.0 | .8 | .2 | 14.0 |
| Bimbo Coles† | PG | 52 | 52 | 1,882 | 201 | 296 | 63 | 12 | 664 | 36.2 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 1.2 | .2 | 12.8 |
| Kevin Willis† | PF | 47 | 42 | 1,357 | 420 | 34 | 19 | 25 | 479 | 28.9 | 8.9 | .7 | .4 | .5 | 10.2 |
| Kevin Gamble† | SF | 44 | 13 | 1,033 | 86 | 82 | 31 | 5 | 305 | 23.5 | 2.0 | 1.9 | .7 | .1 | 6.9 |
| Billy Owens† | SF | 40 | 40 | 1,388 | 286 | 134 | 30 | 22 | 590 | 34.7 | 7.2 | 3.4 | .8 | .6 | 14.8 |
| Pete Myers† | SG | 39 | 1 | 639 | 73 | 97 | 14 | 11 | 184 | 16.4 | 1.9 | 2.5 | .4 | .3 | 4.7 |
| Terrence Rencher† | PG | 34 | 1 | 397 | 42 | 54 | 16 | 1 | 103 | 11.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | .5 | .0 | 3.0 |
| Danny Schayes | C | 32 | 6 | 399 | 89 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 101 | 12.5 | 2.8 | .3 | .3 | .5 | 3.2 |
| Voshon Lenard | SG | 30 | 0 | 323 | 52 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 176 | 10.8 | 1.7 | 1.0 | .2 | .0 | 5.9 |
| Tim Hardaway† | PG | 28 | 28 | 1,047 | 98 | 280 | 58 | 6 | 482 | 37.4 | 3.5 | 10.0 | 2.1 | .2 | 17.2 |
| Walt Williams† | SF | 28 | 28 | 788 | 112 | 65 | 32 | 16 | 337 | 28.1 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 1.1 | .6 | 12.0 |
| Tony Smith† | SG | 25 | 1 | 410 | 39 | 68 | 16 | 5 | 109 | 16.4 | 1.6 | 2.7 | .6 | .2 | 4.4 |
| Chris Gatling† | PF | 24 | 0 | 565 | 175 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 365 | 23.5 | 7.3 | .7 | .7 | .5 | 15.2 |
| Tyrone Corbin† | SF | 22 | 0 | 354 | 65 | 23 | 16 | 3 | 101 | 16.1 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .7 | .1 | 4.6 |
| Predrag Danilović | SG | 19 | 18 | 542 | 46 | 47 | 15 | 3 | 255 | 28.5 | 2.4 | 2.5 | .8 | .2 | 13.4 |
| Ronnie Grandison† | PF | 18 | 3 | 235 | 36 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 43 | 13.1 | 2.0 | .6 | .4 | .1 | 2.4 |
| Stacey King | PF | 15 | 0 | 156 | 23 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 38 | 10.4 | 1.5 | .1 | .5 | .1 | 2.5 |
| LeRon Ellis | C | 12 | 1 | 74 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 6.2 | .7 | .3 | .2 | .3 | 1.1 |
| Jeff Malone† | SG | 7 | 0 | 103 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 14.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | .4 | .0 | 4.4 |
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Heat only.
Playoffs
| Player | POS | GP | GS | MP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Hardaway | PG | 3 | 3 | 110 | 5 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 53 | 36.7 | 1.7 | 5.7 | 1.0 | .0 | 17.7 |
| Alonzo Mourning | C | 3 | 3 | 92 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 54 | 30.7 | 6.0 | 1.3 | .7 | 1.0 | 18.0 |
| Rex Chapman | SG | 3 | 3 | 88 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 29.3 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.0 | .0 | 9.0 |
| Walt Williams | SF | 3 | 3 | 70 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 23.3 | 4.0 | 1.7 | .3 | .3 | 4.7 |
| Kurt Thomas | PF | 3 | 3 | 60 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 20.0 | 5.3 | 1.0 | .7 | .3 | 4.0 |
| Chris Gatling | PF | 3 | 0 | 68 | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 22.7 | 8.0 | .3 | .7 | .0 | 6.0 |
| Tony Smith | SG | 3 | 0 | 61 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 20.3 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 1.3 | .0 | 7.3 |
| Predrag Danilović | SG | 3 | 0 | 60 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 20.0 | .3 | 1.3 | .3 | .0 | 8.3 |
| Keith Askins | SF | 3 | 0 | 48 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 16.0 | 2.7 | .7 | .3 | .0 | 4.3 |
| Tyrone Corbin | SF | 2 | 0 | 34 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 17.0 | 3.5 | .5 | 1.0 | .0 | 2.5 |
| Danny Schayes | C | 2 | 0 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8.5 | 2.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 3.5 |
| Stacey King | PF | 1 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 |
Transactions
July 1, 1995
- Released Brad Lohaus.
- Released Ledell Eackles.
September 1, 1995
- Traded a 1996 1st round draft pick (Walter McCarty) to the New York Knicks for Pat Riley (coach).
September 29, 1995
- Brad Lohaus signed as an unrestricted free agent with the San Antonio Spurs.
October 5, 1995
- Signed Ron Grandison as a free agent.
- Signed Stacey King as a free agent.
- Signed Bruce Bowen as a free agent.
October 13, 1995
- Waived Bruce Bowen.
November 3, 1995
- Traded Matt Geiger, Khalid Reeves, Glen Rice, and a 1996 1st round draft pick (Tony Delk) to the Charlotte Hornets for LeRon Ellis, Alonzo Mourning, and Pete Myers.
December 12, 1995
- Signed Danny Schayes to a contract for remainder of season.
December 27, 1995
- Waived LeRon Ellis.
December 29, 1995
- Signed Voshon Lenard as a free agent.
January 5, 1996
- Waived Ron Grandison.
February 12, 1996
- Signed Jeff Malone to a 10-day contract.
- Waived Pete Myers.
February 22, 1996
- Traded Bimbo Coles and Kevin Willis to the Golden State Warriors for Chris Gatling and Tim Hardaway.
- Traded Kevin Gamble and Billy Owens to the Sacramento Kings for Tyrone Corbin and Walt Williams.
- Traded Terrence Rencher to the Phoenix Suns for Tony Smith.
March 3, 1996
- Signed Jeff Malone to a contract for remainder of season.
June 26, 1996
- Traded a 2000 1st round draft pick (DeShawn Stevenson) to the Utah Jazz for Martin Müürsepp.
Player Transactions Citation:[58]
Postseason
The Heat would qualify for the playoffs by beating out the Charlotte Hornets by 1 game for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a record of 42 wins and 40 losses. In the playoffs, the Heat were swept in 3 straight games. The Heat would lose by double digits in each game to the eventual World Champion Chicago Bulls.[25]
Awards, records, and honors
Pat Riley led the Heat to a 42–40 record which tying the franchise record for best record. Alonzo Mourning was voted by fans to be in the All-Star Game.[59]
References
- Notes
- ^ 1995-96 Miami Heat
- ^ Wise, Mike (June 29, 1995). "PRO BASKETBALL; Underclassmen Rule Atop N.B.A. Draft Board". The New York Times. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ Heisler, Mark (June 29, 1995). "NBA Is a Young Man's Game: Draft: Smith, McDyess, Stackhouse, Wallace and Garnett Lead the Way". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ "1995 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ Justice, Richard (June 29, 1995). "Bullets Select UNC's Wallace". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ Mallozzi, Vincent M. (June 30, 1995). "BASKETBALL; Knicks File Tampering Charges Over Riley". The New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ Justice, Richard (July 1, 1995). "Pollin on Chapman: "I'm Disappointed"". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ Winderman, Ira (September 2, 1995). "Heat Will Name Riley Coach Today". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ Wise, Mike (September 3, 1995). "PRO BASKETBALL; Riley Back in Spotlight and Back at the Helm". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
- ^ Wise, Mike (September 8, 1995). "PRO BASKETBALL; Book Is Closed on the Knicks-Riley Saga". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
- ^ Brown, Clifton (November 4, 1995). "PRO BASKETBALL; For Riley and the Heat, It Is Mourning in Miami". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
- ^ Heisler, Mark (November 4, 1995). "Mourning Turns Up with Heat: Pro Basketball: Center Is Traded for Rice, Reeves and Geiger After Turning Down Hornets". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
- ^ Winderman, Ira (November 4, 1995). "A New Mourning". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ "NBA Games Played on February 8, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ a b Brown, Clifton (February 23, 1996). "PRO BASKETBALL; On Deadline, Riley Makes Bold Moves". The New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ "Hardaway Heads for the Heat in Trade". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. February 23, 1996. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- ^ Patton, Robes (February 24, 1996). "Heat's Months of Preparation Pay Off on Trading Day". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ Winderman, Ira (February 23, 1996). "Meet the New Heat: Miami's Trades Bring 5 Players". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
- ^ "Riley's Heat The Big Movers on D-Day". Deseret News. Associated Press. February 23, 1996. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ Winderman, Ira (January 6, 1996). "Mourning Travels West". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
- ^ "PRO BASKETBALL; Chapman, Heat Surprise Bulls". The New York Times. Associated Press. February 24, 1996. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ "Chapman's 39 Lead Heat Over the Bulls". The Washington Post. February 24, 1996. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ "Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat Box Score, February 23, 1996". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ "1995–96 Miami Heat Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ a b Miami Heat (1988-Present)
- ^ "Chapman Has Surgery". The Washington Post. November 23, 1995. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ Winderman, Ira (November 23, 1995). "Chapman Out 3 Months After Achilles Surgery". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
- ^ Patton, Robes (January 23, 1996). "Chapman Keeps Firing, Starts Hitting". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
- ^ Winderman, Ira (January 3, 1996). "Surgery Sidelines Danilovic for Year". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
- ^ "Heat's Danilovic to Miss 3-4 Months". United Press International. January 2, 1996. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ a b "1995–96 Miami Heat Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ Heisler, Mark (February 11, 1996). "NBA Has All-Stars in Its Eyes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ "1996 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
- ^ "1996 NBA All-Star Game: East 129, West 118". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ "Pro Basketball". The Gainesville Sun. February 10, 1996. p. 15. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "1996 NBA Rising Stars: East 94, West 92". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "1995–96 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
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