NBA Champions ·
2006 Miami Heat
The 2005-06 Heat went 52-30 and won the franchise's first title, beating the Dallas Mavericks in six after losing the first two games. Dwyane Wade carried the comeback, averaging 34.7 for the series and 39.3 over the final four. Pat Riley had taken back the coaching job from Stan Van Gundy partway through the season.
Miami rebuilt around Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, adding Antoine Walker, James Posey, Jason Williams, and Gary Payton in the offseason. The pieces took time to fit, and the team sat at .500 a month in. Van Gundy resigned in December, and Riley returned to the bench.
Wade became one of the league's best players this season, and the veterans gave the roster Finals experience. Payton, Mourning, and Walker had all chased a ring for years. The Heat finished atop the Southeast and beat the 64-win Pistons in the conference finals.
The Finals opened badly. Dallas won the first two by double digits and led Game 3 late before Wade took over. He scored Miami's points down the stretch, and the Heat won four straight. Game 5 went to overtime, where Wade set a Finals record with 21 made free throws.
Wade took Finals MVP. Miami became the third team in league history to win a title after falling behind 0-2, and the championship was the first for Payton in his 16th season and for Mourning after a kidney disease nearly ended his career.
Championship roster
Featured in Ring Holders Club
| Player | Role | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Williams | PG | 74 |
| Dwyane Wade | SG | 91 |
| Antoine Walker | SF | 75 |
| Udonis Haslem | PF | 74 |
| Shaquille O'Neal | C | 84 |
| James Posey | 6th man | 74 |
| Pat Riley | Coach | 88 |
Ratings are year-specific curated estimates for Ring Holders Club, not official NBA stats.
Rest of the roster
| Player | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Payton | G | first ring in his 16th season |
| Alonzo Mourning | C | |
| Shandon Anderson | G/F | |
| Derek Anderson | G | |
| Michael Doleac | C |