5 Unheralded but Important Members of the Heat's 2013 Championship Roster
One of the most consistent NBA franchises in the 21st century, the Miami Heat have only missed the playoffs six times since the 2000-01 season, have reached the NBA Finals seven times, and won the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2005-06, 2011-12, and 2012-13. Miami reached the NBA Finals in each of the four seasons LeBron James spent with the team from 2010-11 to 2013-14. James, along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, formed the famed Big Three in Miami and were largely responsible for the team's back-to-back titles, but the Heat also had a deep bench and veteran players who contributed to the team's success.
James won the NBA Finals MVP in 2013 and led the team in playoff scoring with 25.9 points per game (PPG), while Wade and Bosh finished second and third with 15.9 PPG and 12.1 PPG, respectively. However, Miami wouldn't have won the title that year without the contributions of the following players.
Ray Allen
An 18-year NBA veteran inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018, Ray Allen was nearing the end of his career in July 2012 when he signed with the Heat as a free agent. He averaged 10.9 PPG in the regular season and was the team's fourth-leading scorer in the playoffs, averaging 10.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 40.6 percent from three-point range.
Considered one of the best three-point shooters in league history, Allen made one of the most memorable shots of his career—and Miami history—in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. With the Heat trailing the series 3-2 and down three points late in the game, Allen accepted a pass from Bosh, backpedaled to the right corner beyond the three-point line and drained the game-tying shot with just 5.2 seconds left. Miami won the game in overtime.
NBA.com, in a review of the play, called it "the biggest shot in NBA history." Allen played one more season with Miami and retired following the 2013-14 season.
Shane Battier
A 34-year-old veteran in the 2013 NBA Finals, Shane Battier had already established himself as a valuable defensive presence in the league, earning All-Defensive team honors in 2007-08 and 2008-09 with the Houston Rockets. He was never an elite scorer; he only averaged more than 10 PPG in three of his 14 seasons. However, he particularly struggled on offense in the 2013 playoffs—that is, until Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Battier was ninth in playoff scoring for Miami with 4.7 PPG (down from his average of 6.6 PPG in the regular season). He scored just 21 points in the first six games against the Spurs, but recorded 18 points on six of eight three-point shots in Miami's 95-88 Game 7 victory. Battier also led all Heat players with a plus-12 point differential.
"There's something about that guy. He has championship DNA," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra after the game, speaking to USA Today. "He's got it. He's won at every single level. As the series went on and the moments became more important, he had a bigger factor. That's not a coincidence."
Mario Chalmers
A point guard who spent eight of his 10 seasons in the NBA with the Heat, Mario Chalmers averaged 8.6 PPG in the 2012-13 regular season and continually improved as Miami went deeper into the playoffs. He was fifth on the team in playoff scoring with 9.4 PPG and averaged 10.6 PPG in the NBA Finals, including a series-best 20 points in Miami's pivotal Game 6 victory. He also scored 14 points in Game 7 and led all Heat players with 19 points in the team’s 103-84 Game 2 victory.
Chalmers played two more full seasons in Miami before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in November 2015. He signed a 10-day contract with the Heat in 2021, but didn't appear in a game.
Udonis Haslem
Few players embody the hard work and sacrifice associated with "Heat Culture" more than Udonis Haslem, a power forward from Miami, Florida who spent his entire 20-year career with the franchise. Haslem, who retired following the 2022-23 season, is second all-time in games played (879) with the Heat and was with Miami for each of its three championships.
Haslem averaged just 3.9 PPG in the 2012-13 regular season, but was a valuable performer in the playoffs, starting 19 games and averaging 5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He played just 11 minutes combined in Game 6 and 7 against the Spurs in the NBA Finals, but played well in the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers, scoring 17 points and adding seven rebounds in Miami's 114-96 victory in Game 3. He hadn't scored more than nine points in the prior 52 games.
Chris Andersen
Chris "Birdman" Andersen also played an integral role in Miami's 2013 NBA Finals victory. He finished sixth on the team in playoff scoring with 6.4 PPG (up from 4.9 PPG in the regular season) and was second with 1.1 blocks per game. He scored a series-best nine points in just 14 minutes off the bench in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.