1 9 9 7 |
| January 2 |
|
Activated guard/forward Dan Majerle from the injured list. Placed guard/forward
James Scott on the injured list with a bruised left knee. |
| January 6 |
Signed guard John Crotty to a 10-day contract. Waived guard/forward James Scott. Placed guard Gary Grant on the injured list with back surgery. |
| January 7 |
Waived forward Mark Strickland. Activated forward Tony Farmer from the injured list.
L. Jay Cross is promoted to president, business operations. |
| January 8 |
Signed guard/forward Willie Anderson to a 10-day contract. Placed guard/forward
Dan Majerle on the injured list with back surgery. |
| January 12 |
Signed forward Mark Strickland to a 10-day contract. Waived forward Tony Farmer. |
| January 16 |
Signed guard John Crotty to a second 10-day contract. |
| January 18 |
Signed guard/forward Willie Anderson to a second 10-day contract. |
| January 22 |
Signed forward Mark Strickland to a second 10-day contract. Arquitectonica presents initial drawings of the new HEAT arena to the public at a press briefing. |
| January 26 |
Signed guard John Crotty for the remainder of the season. Activated forward Ed Pinckney from the injured list. Placed forward Kurt Thomas on the injured list with a fractured right ankle. |
| January 28 |
Signed guard/forward Willie Anderson for the remainder of the season. |
| February 1 |
Signed forward Mark Strickland to a multi-year contract. Tim Hardaway and
Alonzo Mourning are selected to play in the 1997 All-Star Game. |
| February 9 |
Tim Hardaway scores 10 points in the 1997 NBA All-Star Game. Alonzo Mourning did not play due to injury (plantar fasciatis in right foot). |
| February 14 |
The HEAT acquire forward Jamal Mashburn from Dallas in exchange for guard
Sasha Danilovic, forward Kurt Thomas and forward Martin Muursepp. |
| February 17 |
Alonzo Mourning is named NBA Player of the Week for the week of February 10-16. |
| Febraury 24 |
Signed center Matt Fish to a 10-day contract. |
| March 2 |
Placed center Alonzo Mourning on the injured list with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. |
| March 6 |
Signed center Matt Fish to a second 10-day contract. |
| March 7 |
Tim Hardaway scores his 10,000th career point at Washington. |
| March 15 |
Signed center Matt Fish for the remainder of the season. Signed guard/forward Bruce Bowen to a 10-day contract. |
| March 21 |
Tim Hardaway records his 1,000th career steal against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Miami Arena. |
| March 23 |
Activated center Alonzo Mourning from the injured list. Placed center Matt Fish on the injured list with a lower lumbar strain. |
| March 25 |
Signed guard/forward Bruce Bowen for the remainder of the season. |
| April 1 |
Activated guard/forward Dan Majerle from the injured list. Placed guard/forward
Bruce Bowen on the injured list with patella tendinitis in his right knee. |
| April 10 |
Coupled with Chicago's victory over New York that evening, the HEAT clinches its
first Atlantic Division title with a 93-83 win vs. Detroit at Miami Arena. |
| April 11 |
The Metro-Dade commission approves new financing and development plan. |
| April 19 |
The HEAT ends its season with a franchise-record 61st win at Orlando, 102-88. Only 15 other teams have ever accomplished 61 wins. |
| April 26 |
P.J. Brown is presented the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his outstanding
community service. The HEAT wins Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs First Round vs. Orlando, 99-64, in Miami. |
| April 29 |
P.J. Brown is named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. |
| May 3 |
Isaac Austin is named the NBA Most Improved Player for 1996-97. |
| May 4 |
The HEAT wins its first playoff series with a 91-83 win vs. Orlando in Game 5 of its opening round series. |
| May 7 |
Miami plays its first-ever Eastern Conference Semifinal game, falling to New York, 88-79, at the Miami Arena. |
| May 8 |
Pat Riley is named NBA Coach of the Year, becoming the first coach in NBA history to win Coach of the Year honors with three different franchises. |
| May 9 |
The HEAT wins its first-ever Eastern Conference Semifinal game in Game 2 vs. New York, 88-84, in Miami. |
| May 18 |
The HEAT wins its first Eastern Conference Semifinals series with a Game 7 win vs. New York, 101-90, in Miami. The HEAT becomes only the sixth team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a playoff series. |
| May 20 |
Miami plays its first Eastern Conference Finals game, losing at Chicago, 84-77. |
| May 21 |
Tim Hardaway is named to the All-NBA First Team. |
| May 26 |
The HEAT wins its first Eastern Conference Finals playoff game with an 87-80 victory against Chicago in Game 4 at Miami. |
| June 25 |
The HEAT selects guard Charles Smith from the University of New Mexico with
the 26th pick in the first round of the NBA Draft. Miami also takes forward Mark
Sanford from the University of Washington in the second round (31st overall). |
| July 7 |
Signed guard Ruben Nembhard and forward Patrick Savoy. |
| July 9 |
Re-signed guard Voshon Lenard. |
| July 21 |
Signed first-round pick Charles Smith. |
| July 24 |
Signed second-round pick Mark Sanford. |
| August 6 |
Metro Dade mayor Alex Penelas and Miami Mayor Joe Carollo strike a deal between the two entities that clears the way for the new arena. |
| August 11 |
Re-signed center Matt Fish. |
| August 12 |
The HEAT acquire center Duane Causwell from Sacramento in exchange for guard Gary Grant, center Matt Fish and a conditional 1999 second-round pick. |
| August 20 |
The HEAT sign free agent forward Terry Mills to a multi-year contract. |
| August 22 |
Pauline Winick announces she'll retire October 1. |
| September 9 |
Scotty Robertson becomes a college scout and Jeff Bzdelik joins the HEAT bench as an assistant coach. |
| September 10 |
Signed free agent guard Eric Murdock. |
| September 16 |
Former HEAT player Ed Pinckney becomes the team's radio color analyst. |
| September 17 |
Signed free agent guard/forward Todd Day. |
| September 29 |
Signed free agent forward Ben Davis and free agent guard Malcolm Huckaby. |
| October 2 |
Signed free agent forward Muntrelle Dobbins. |
| October 21 |
HEAT, Miami-Dade County and American Airlines reach accord on a 20-year naming rights pact for the new HEAT arena to be called AmericanAirlines Arena
that is announced at a public ceremony. |
| October 22 |
Waived guard Ruben Nembhard and forward Muntrelle Dobbins. |
| October 26 |
Waived forwards Patrick Savoy and Mark Sanford. |
| October 30 |
Placed center Alonzo Mourning (left knee surgery), guard Malcolm Huckaby (tendinitis in left knee) and guard Charles Smith (periostitis in tibia in right leg)
on injured list. Waived forward Ben Davis. |
| November 11 |
Activated guard Charles Smith. Placed guard/forward Dan Majerle on the injured list with a stiff lower back. |
| November 15 |
With a 96-93 win over Denver, Coach Pat Riley moves past Dr. Jack Ramsay (864) for sole possession of fifth-place on the NBA all-time wins list. |
| November 22 |
Waived guard/forward Todd Day. Activated guard/forward Dan Majerle from the injured list. |
| December 17 |
Placed guard Charles Smith (periositis of right tibia) on the injured list and activated center Alonzo Mourning. |
| December 20 |
HEAT and Sunshine Network reach a five-year extension on team's cable rights. |
| December 23 |
HEAT and Silver King Broadcasting reach a five-year agreement for over-the-air TV rights; games to be carried by new WAMI-Channel 69. |
| December 25 |
The HEAT plays in its first Christmas Day game televised nationally on NBC at Chicago, but loses, 90-80. |
