Category: Miami Heat Blog

Andersen sports a Mohawk haircut and who-knows-how-many multicolored tattoos, has been known to flap his arms as if they were wings — a nod to his “Birdman” nickname — and can be more than a little intimidating. At first glance, the idea of him fitting into a Heat organization that prides itself on doing everything in a first-class manner might have seemed absurd.

But the Heat looked at the big picture, how another energy-and-effort guy with size and strength would clearly help their chances of winning a second straight title. With that in mind, they offered him a deal, Andersen accepted, and he’s made the Heat look like geniuses for the move ever since.

“He’s perfect. Perfect,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. “When you see his production, you get it. When you look at everything that Birdman is, what people say he is and even what he is to a certain extent, it doesn’t match. But when you look at how he plays and the production on the court and what we need, it’s a perfect fit.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

LeBron James was not with the Miami Heat for their final regular-season shootaround on Wednesday morning. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the league’s reigning MVP was tending to a personal matter.

James was not expected to play Wednesday against the Orlando Magic. He has spent part of the past couple weeks dealing with a right hamstring strain.

The Heat have home-court advantage for as long as they remain in this season’s NBA playoffs.

— Reported by the Associated Press

LeBron James continues to dominate the NBA. Through games played on Wednesday, April 10, the Miami Heat superstar forward is averaging 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.73 steals per game for the best team in the league.

Here are some great 2013 LeBron James video highlights:

Dwyane Wade will not play Tuesday night when the Miami Heat host to the Milwaukee Bucks, the fifth straight game the All-Star guard will miss while dealing with ankle and knee soreness.

Wade was able to participate in the team’s morning shootaround practice Tuesday. He remains listed as day-to-day and will be evaluated again Wednesday.

Heat center Chris Bosh missed the morning practice because he wasn’t feeling well.

— Reported by the Associated Press 

Wade said he wants to get back on the court before the playoffs begin. He just isn’t sure when, but has no plans of rushing it.

Wade has missed the past four games because of ankle and knee soreness, with the knee being the bigger of the concerns.

“I don’t know,” Wade said when asked about his return. “I’m just trying to make sure I’m healthy. The most important thing is to be healthy. When I feel it, I’ll get back on the court. Obviously, I want to play but I just got to make sure that I’m right.”

Wade said he has no problem taking a few games off because the Heat have earned it by already securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

“A lot of people think the Heat are just resting,” Wade said. “We played a lot of games this year. We had guys banged up at certain times and different elements. We’ve got to get them healthy, just like other teams have done. It just so happens that we’ve been able to do it at the end of the year. We took care of business and we were able to say, `Ok, we have these injures, let’s try to take care of them.”‘

— Reported by Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Dwyane Wade might be missing games for reasons other than the Heat’s “maintenance program.”

Before Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Wade has had prolonged swelling in his right knee. Wade rested for his fourth consecutive game Saturday while LeBron James returned to action.

“He has to resolve the swelling right now from getting hit in the knee,” Spoelstra said “That is the issue. His body will tell us when we play him.”

Wade last played against the New Orleans Hornets on March 29. According to Spoelstra, Wade was “beat up” in that game and banged his right knee going to the ground.

The injury apparently has lingered. Wade also has had problems with his right ankle this season.

— Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald

Miami Heat player Chris Bosh and his wife returned home from his lavish 29th birthday party to find they had been robbed of $340,000 worth of watches, rings and purses, Miami Beach Police said Thursday.

Police said they got the call about the burglary at 12:30 a.m. Bosh and his wife had left their two children at home with two housekeepers as they celebrated his birthday at Briza on the Bay on Bayshore Drive in Miami. The Moroccan themed party included belly dancers and fire breathers. And a camel named Henri greeted guests. The festivities started at 9 p.m.

When the Boshes got home they realized their closet had been ransacked, police said. No one who was home heard anything, and apparently the thieves handpicked the items they were stealing, police said.

— Reported by NBC Miami