History

Top 5 all-time Miami Heat scoring leaders

RotoWire breaks down the top 5 players who helped build 'Heat Culture.'

Alonzo Mourning was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in August 2014. 

The Miami Heat have won 16 division titles since their inception in 1988. Led by Dwyane Wade, the Heat earned three NBA championships  between 2006 and 2013. Wade, who brought studs LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal along for the ride, is Miami’s all-time leading scorer.


1. Dwyane Wade – 21,556 Points

No other player in franchise history has reached 10,000 points, which helps indicate how much Wade means to the organization. He was the fifth pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. His debut season is the only time he didn’t make the All-Star team over the next decade, being voted to 13-straight All-Star teams after that remarkable rookie season. Wade had brief stops in Chicago and Cleveland before returning to Miami for one final season, retiring after the 2019-20 season and earning yet another All-Star nod. Throughout his Miami career, Wade averaged 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks. He won three championships and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.


2. Alonzo Mourning – 9,459 Points

Mourning was the best player for this franchise before Dwyane Wade came along. The second overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1992 NBA Draft, Mourning was traded to Miami in 1995. The big man made an immediate impact with his new team, making five All-Star appearances in his seven seasons with Miami. He also took down Defensive Player of the Year twice, averaging 19.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.9 blocks in that first stint with the Heat. A battle with kidney disease forced him to miss the 2002 season, and then he played two years for the New Jersey Nets. Mourning returned to Miami in 2005, playing his final four seasons of his career in South Beach. He won a ring with the Heat in 2006.


3. Glen Rice – 9,248 Points

Rice was taken fourth overall by Miami in the 1989 NBA Draft. He spent his first six seasons with the Heat, averaging 19.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Miami traded Rice to Charlotte in exchange for Alonzo Mourning ahead of the 1995-66 season. He made three All-Star appearances in all three seasons with Charlotte and retired in 2004. Rice also won a championship with the 2000 Los Angeles Lakers.


4. LeBron James – 7,919 Points

LeBron is at the top of every record book in the NBA, but he didn’t spend enough time in Miami to be atop their scoring list. His “Decision” to join the Heat in South Beach was one of the biggest storylines in NBA history, and he played four years in Miami. Just like anywhere else he went, James was an absolute stud with the Heat, winning two rings alongside Wade. The superstar averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists in his seasons in Miami. He also won MVP in two of those, finishing Top 3 in voting in all four seasons.


5. Bam Adebayo – 7,513 Points

Despite being known for his elite defense, Adebayo is Miami’s fifth all-time leading scorer at the age of 27. Adebayo’s breakout campaign came in 2019. He made the All-Star team in three of five seasons since taking over the starting center position, averaging 18.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in that span. 


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