Top 50 Plays in Miami Heat History

Upon completing this slideshow, you'll probably think that there was too much Dwyane Wade.

To be perfectly honest, I agree with you. There's a reason as to why Wade is all over this slideshow that revolves around the 50 best plays in the 23 year history of the Miami Heat and it's because he has obviously done more memorable plays worth noting more than any other player in the history of the organization.

He's also been with the team for eight seasons. Only Alonzo Mourning has spent more time with the franchise with Udonis Haslem tying for second with Wade.

If you haven't watched Miami Heat basketball, you'll know why Wade takes up most of the spaces on this slideshow exhibiting the 50 best plays in the history of the franchise.

With LeBron James, Michael Beasley and Tim Hardaway among others all making appearances, we'll just let you get to watching the 50 best plays in the history of this franchise that only has more memorable plays to come.

You can follow John Friel on twitter @JohnFtheheatgod

50. Dwyane Wade Throws It Down over Rashard Lewis

The first 50 point game of Dwyane Wade's career came during a loss where he actually scored more than the rest of his teammates combined.

The two best points of those 50 would come by way of Wade splitting two defenders and rocketing inside to dunk it over the top of 6'10" power forward Rashard Lewis.

49. Dwyane Wade Sends Eric Snow to the Hardwood

The lone crossover on this list was just too good to pass up.

It features Dwyane Wade sending Eric Snow with a crossover so lethal that Snow actually goes all the way from beyond the arc to beyond the free throw line.

Adding insult to injury as he usually does, Wade stares Snow down and then proceeds to bank in the running lay up.

48. LeBron James Goes 360 Against New Jersey

LeBron James somehow proves to us once again just how athletic he is.

Rather than forcing a pass to Mike Miller on the fast break, James instead goes 360 and miraculously makes the lay up over Sasha Vujacic.

47. Dwyane Wade Takes Joey Graham on a Ride

It's difficult enough to dunk over a defender.

It's only more difficult to dunk over a defender that is pulling you down the entire time you're attempting the dunk.

46. LeBron James Spins and Wins over Rajon Rondo

LeBron James makes it known to Rajon Rondo that flopping will get you nowhere.

45. Antoine Walker Nails It from 30 Feet out and Then Shimmies

Antoine Walker is most notable for receiving love and hate from his fans.

He receives the love when he makes his 30 foot attempts and the hate when he misses it which is often since he is a 34 percent career three-point shooter.

This shot gets all the love from the fans of the Miami Heat as Walker hits the dagger against the Detroit Pistons and then does the trademark shimmy.

44. LeBron Spins and Wins Against San Antonio

LeBron James decides to show off a little of everything in his skill set here.

After getting hugged by Matt Bonner, James still manages to go 360 and possess the strength to get the shot up and get the and one opportunity to go with it.

43. Dwyane Wade Dunks on a Guy Whose Name Is Too Complicated to Spell

One of the top plays early on in the 2010-'11 season features Dwyane Wade taking it coast to coast once again and this time slamming it over the top of Utah Jazz center Kyrylo Fesenko who is also busy dragging Wade down by his jersey the whole way.

That's what he deserves for having two Y's in his first name.

42. Michael Beasley Slams It in over Pau Gasol

Three Michael Beasley highlights on this list and they call come by way of a put back slam.

This one is in good competition with his dunk over Boris Diaw. Beasley comes from out of nowhere to slam it in over Pau Gasol with enough magnitude to send him to the floor where he will then get screamed at by a hyped up Beasley.

41. Steve Smith Suprises Us All with the Dunk over Michael Jordan

Steve Smith might have had a brief tenure with the Miami Heat, but he at least makes it on this list thanks to a beautiful spin move and dunk over Michael Jordan.

Thanks for the memory, Steve.

40. Dwyane Wade Throws It Down over Andres Nocioni

Dwyane Wade and Andres Nocioni do not like each other.

Nocioni had a flagrant foul on Wade a few years back and Dwyane hasn't let him live it down with quite a few poster dunks on the Argentinean with this one being the most ferocious.

39. Alonzo Mourning Sends Dwight Howard's Shot Back

It's extremely difficult to deter Dwight Howard once he has a full head of steam and is already near a dunk.

Alonzo Mourning managed to complete the possible by sending back the 6'11" centers shot back.

38. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James Connect in New York

Madison Square Garden now doesn't have to look forward to having a show put on by the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Instead, they now put on a show together on the same team with one of their top spectacles coming by way of an alley oop from Dwyane Wade to LeBron James, who throws it down with one hand.

37. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade Make It Look Too Easy

Making for the ultimate screensaver, this instance has Dwyane Wade dropping off a pass to a freight train known as LeBron James who proceeds to pick up the pass and dunks it home with about 2000 psi.

Carlos Arroyo might not have received the pass, but at least he had the best seat in the house.

36. Michael Beasley Throws It Down over Boris Diaw

Michael Beasley didn't have too great of an impact in the two years he played with the Miami Heat, but he did have one of the most memorable dunks with his put back slam over Boris Diaw.

Or maybe it's just memorable because of the afro.

35. Dwyane Wade Throws It Down Past Tim Duncan

Dwyane Wade truly has had a affinity for dunking over the top of future Hall of Fame centers.

This poster comes by way of a huge dunk over the top of possible a top ten player in the history of the game in Tim Duncan.

34. Dwyane Wade Makes His Return Back from Injury

Trainers told Dwyane Wade not to dunk upon his return from a dislocated shoulder injury.

Wade decided not to listen by putting Mike Dunleavy Jr. on a poster while also giving the Heat a three point lead that would also be enough for a victory.

33. Jason Williams and Shaquille O'Neal Hook Up for the Alley Oop

A pair that includes one of the league's craftier point guards in Jason Williams and the most dominant center in Shaquille O'Neal will get you plenty of opportunities to create a quality play.

Sure enough, they create one here with a perfect 30 foot alley-oop from Williams to O'Neal who then proceeds to yell at Charlotte Bobcats center Primoz Brezec.

32. Mario Chalmers and LeBron James Hook Up for the Statue of Liberty Alley Oop

It's a very rare occurrence to have an inbound play where the inbounder throws up a perfect alley-oop for the easy score.

Leave it to Mario Chalmers and LeBron James to prove everyone wrong.

31. Tim Hardaway Makes Michael Jordan Look Mortal

It takes a lot to actually make Michael Jordan not appear to be a deity.

Tim Hardaway actually made that happen when he utilized that lightning quick crossover of his to lose Jordan and then dish off a pass to a waiting Alonzo Mourning who slams it in over renowned defender Dennis Rodman.

30. Dwyane Wade Cues the Circus Music

Dwyane Wade's become very well known for his circus shots with none better than the one he completed in the 2006 Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons.

Coming off of a drive, Wade jumps with his back facing towards the rim and then proceeds to force Antonio McDyess into a blocking foul.

Oh yeah, he also made the shot somehow even though he wasn't looking.

29. Dwyane Wade Dunks It on an Entire Team

Dwyane Wade decided to up the ante here on this particular dunk.

Rather than just dunking it over one 6'10" player, he decides to dunk over three players that are all 6'7" or taller.

28. LeBron James Dunks It on the Phoenix Suns

When dunks occur against the Phoenix Suns, most of the time they can't even be recognized because the Suns don't even try to play defense.

This time, they sort of did with LeBron James splitting two defenders at the perimeter and then avoiding the block by Jared Dudley, absorbing the push by Channing Frye, and then completing the play with a ferocious slam.

27. Dwyane Wade Throws It Down over a Prime Kevin Garnett

As fearless as ever on this possession, we can thank Damon Jones for turning down a wide-open three-pointer for this play even happening.

Dwyane Wade receives the pass from Jones who will then go over the top of a prime defender in Kevin Garnett to throw it down.

26. LeBron James Leads the Miami Heat to the Conference Finals

The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat have created quite the rivalry over the past few years with the Celtics seemingly coming out on top every time.

That all came to a crashing halt however once LeBron James had something to say about it. With Game 5 coming down to the wire, James would lead a charge that would end up with himself hitting two three-pointers, a fast break dunk and one more lay up to give the Heat a 97-87 victory that would help the team move on to the Conference Finals.

25. Dwyane Wade Hits the Ugly Game Winner vs New Orleans

The ugliest game winner of Dwyane Wade's career comes by way of another near buzzer beater against the New Orleans Hornets.

Wade drives to the left of the rim and would throw up the shot despite having two defenders draped on him. He would spin and bank the shot in to give the Heat a 101-99 victory that would end up being the final score.

24. Dwyane Wade Slams It in over Kendrick Perkins

For someone that stands at 6'4", Dwyane Wade does not get the credit he deserves for the amount of the posters he has put centers on.

This time his victim is the entire Oklahoma City Thunder defense as Wade spins in between James Harden and Serge Ibaka and then proceeds to slam it over notable defender Kendrick Perkins.

And then he cabbage patches.

23. LeBron James Pulls a Larry Bird

Easily the best pass of his career, LeBron James has Erick Dampier's inept offensive abilities to thanks for this unbelievable assist.

After Dampier's shot gets blocked and Amare Stoudemire comes down with the rebound, James proceeds to tip the outlet pass that "Stat" intended to throw. LeBron then grabs the ball and somehow knows that Dampier is still under the rim and proceeds to throw the ball over his head right into the awaiting hands of Erick, who slams it home.

22. Dwyane Wade Hits the Game Winner Against New Jersey

The New Jersey Nets were well on their way to possibly breaking their winless streak to start the 2008-'09 season.

The Miami Heat didn't want to be the one to break that streak, so they called upon Dwyane Wade to help prolong that streak with a game winning three-pointer with 0.1 seconds left to give the Heat an 81-80 win.

The Nets would go on to lose 18 straight to break the winless record previously held by the Miami Heat.

21. Dwyane Wade Dunks All over Jermaine O'Neal

Dwyane Wade has already proven that he's fearless when he hit a game winner with 1.3 seconds left in his first ever NBA post season game.

He then proves that again by dunking over the top of MVP candidate Jermaine O'Neal during the Heat's 2004 semifinals series against the powerhouse Indiana Pacers.

20. Michael Beasley Slams Home the Game Winner vs Orlando

It's not often when you see Dwyane Wade airball a potential game winning shot.

It's also pretty uncommon to have Michael Beasley dunk in the game winner as well.

19. Tim Hardaway Dishes the Perfect Assist to Alonzo Mourning

The dynamic duo of Tim Hardaway and Alonzo Mourning is put on full display herre against a powerhouse Chicago Bulls club during their Conference Finals series in 1996.

It features Hardaway driving in through the Bulls defense and then dishing off the no-look pass to a waiting Alonzo Mourning who then slams it in.

18. Alonzo Mourning Makes His Triumphant Return

After coming out of retirement that occurred due to a rare kidney ailment, Alonzo Mourning was brought on to the floor in a Miami Heat uniform for the first time in three years.

It was a garbage time substitution and not much was expected out of Mourning. The scene suddenly became one of the greatest in Miami Heat history when Mourning blocked the shot and then proceeded to grab the ensuing rebound.

17. Dwyane Wade Gets the Bounce Against the Utah Jazz

Dwyane Wade must have something against the Utah Jazz because this isn't the first time that he's downed the Jazz by way of buzzer beating game winner.

This time around, Wade's shot was a lot more difficult considering that he attempted to pump fake his defender into a foul only for it to not get called. Dwyane leans in and watches as the shot hits the front of the rim and then proceeds to bounce in to give the Heat a 104-102 victory at the buzzer.

16 Dwyane Wade Beats the Jazz Again

After making two free throws at the end of regulation to send it to overtime, the ball was once again in the hands of Dwyane Wade to put the game on ice.

This time, Wade does it by way of your standard jump shot from about 22 feet out. His shot rattles around the rim and nearly bounces out before getting the friendly bounce and watching it fall to give the Heat a 107-105 overtime victory.

15. Dwyane Wade Completes the Comeback Against Detroit

With his team down by 15 in the fourth quarter, it was once again time for Dwyane Wade to lead his Miami Heat to victory.

Wade would score the final 17 points of the game with the 16th and 17th point coming by way of a difficult jumper over the outstretched hands of Tayshaun Prince to give the Heat a 100-98 lead with two seconds remaining.

The Pistons would miss on the other end and the Heat would come away with a victory courtesy of Wade.

14. Voshon Lenard Hits the Insane Game Winner

Another unbelievable game winner coming from the Miami Heat features someone not named Dwyane Wade.

This time it features Voshon Lenard banking in a double-pump jumper from 18 feet out to give the Heat a 76-74 victory at the buzzer.

Either there was a lot of defense being played or these teams really can't put a ball in the basket.

13. Welcome to the House of Highlights

One of the most memorable moments during LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade's first season together comes by way of an alley oop pass from Wade to James.

It's not your standard alley oop though. Rather than just Wade taking the open dunk, he instead drives under the rim and lobs it up to a cutting James who slams it home.

12. Rafer Alston Hits the Shot of His Life

The 2003-'04 season was a memorable one in Heat history. It was Dwyane Wade's rookie year and it would only be two years before the team would win their first championship with Wade leading the way.

Aside from the huge moments that partook in the postseason later that season, the top moment of the regular season came by way of a huge upset victory against the Dallas Mavericks. With the Heat down 118-116 in overtime, the ball was inbounded to three-point specialist Rafer Alston who would make the shot over the outstretched hands of 7'6" Shawn Bradley to give the Heat a 119-118 lead with 0.5 seconds left.

If you couldn't guess what happens next, I'll play spoiler and say the Heat win.

11. Dwyane Wade Puts on a Show for the Garden

Every elite player needs to put on a show at least once at Madison Square Garden.

Dwyane Wade has had quite a few stellar performances there with none better than when he hit a 23 foot buzzer beating game winner to give the Heat a 98-96 victory to stun the Knicks and their fans once again.

10. Dwyane Wade Puts Anderson Varejao on a Screensaver

There was just so much good to this that I don't even know where to start.

We could start with LeBron James getting his dunk sent back by Jermaine O'Neal, then proceed on to Wade driving with absolutely no resistance from end to end, and then finish off with the unbelievable poster dunk over the top of 6'11" center Anderson Varejao.

The force of the dunk was so great that it nearly sent Varejao end over end if not for the support that holds the backboard up.

9. LeBron James Seals the Deal vs Chicago

Chicago Bulls fans should know better than anyone else not to tug on Superman's cape.

They told LeBron James he sucked when he went to the foul line and James came right back to help lead the Heat from a double-digit deficit with less than three minutes remaining. Wade and James would hit a few three-pointers to tie the game and it would be James hitting the game winner over Ronnie Brewer from 20 feet out to close the series and make the Miami Heat the Eastern Conference Champions.

8. Gary Payton Hits the Game Winner Against Dallas

After Dwyane Wade worked his team back into the game during the teams game three date with the Dallas Mavericks in 2006, it would end up being veteran Gary Payton who would support the cause by nailing the 22 foot jumper to give the Heat an improbable 98-96 victory.

The Heat would end up winning the series 4-2 with game three being the first of four consecutive wins.

7. Dwyane Wade>Every Dolphins QB Post Dan Marino

Had LeBron James finished this play with a dunk, it might be recognized as one of the top plays in the history of the game.

Instead, it only ended up as a 90 foot alley-oop lay up.

6. Dwyane Wade Doesn't Know the Meaning of Pressure

In only his first postseason game, the Miami Heat organization already knew who to get the ball to when the game is on the line.

With the ball in Wade's hands, he hit Baron Davis with a crossover to get into the lane where he would then throw up and make a floater over the outstretched hands of Jamaal Magloire to give the Heat an 81-79 lead that would end up being the final score.

Miami would end up winning the series 4-3.

5. Alonzo Mourning Races to Send Jason Terry's Shot Back

Alonzo Mourning wanted a title really bad. Really, really bad.

He wanted it so bad that he was willing to send back six Dallas Mavericks shots in a decisive game six that was only decided by three points and would also give the Heat the championship.

4. Dwyane Wade Embarrasses the Cleveland Cavaliers

Everything about this play was painful to the Cleveland Cavaliers organization.

It features Dwyane Wade actually dribbling around the back of Sasha Pavlovic and then adding insult to injury by throwing a half-court alley oop to Shaquille O'Neal who also picks up a foul on the same play.

Then they would take LeBron James from them. What does this team have against Cleveland?

3. Dwyane Wade Impresses Andre Aggasi

It's tough enough blocking someone six inches taller than you.

The level of difficulty is only raised when you have to block the shot and then make the shot from nearly 70 feet away while also keeping the clock in your mind since the buzzer was about to sound.

2. Dwyane Wade Is C-L-U-T-C-H

Game five of the NBA Finals and the Heat are facing the potential task of going into Game 6 in Dallas down 3-2.

Not if Dwyane Wade has anything to say about it though. With his team down by two and time running low, Wade drives in, loses his defender and banks in the game tying shot with three seconds left to send the game to overtime.

The Heat would win 101-100 with Wade hitting a pair of free throws to give the Heat the win.

1. Dwyane Wade Really Doesn't Like the Chicago Bulls

One of the greatest buzzer beaters in NBA history, Dwyane Wade did just about everything on this play to give the Heat an improbable 130-127 victory in two overtimes.

First off, Wade denies the inbound to go to the intended target Derrick Rose. Then he has the presence of mind and the awareness to steal the ball away from John Salmons, who had no idea that a streaking Wade was already waiting for the steal once he did his spin move.

With only a few seconds remaining, Wade then runs down the court and with full momentum and the clock about to hit 0.0, he throws up the shot from just beyond the three-point line and nets it at the buzzer to give the Heat the win.