January 24
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
Dwyane Wade is making progress, but not enough to return to the court yet. The Miami Heat guard is not expected to play against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday because of a sprained right ankle. It would mark the fifth consecutive game Wade has missed and the eighth of the season. "Everything is the same as last game," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He's day-to-day. He has been doing work, and we'll let you know as soon as he has taken the next step." However, Wade did participate in parts of Tuesday morning's shootaround, which is something he has not been able to do since spraining his ankle."
January 19
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
There finally is light at the end of the treadmill for Eddy Curry. Instead of again summarily ruling the bulky veteran center out of Thursday night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers at AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra left the door ajar after Wednesday's practice. "Possibly," Spoelstra said, with the bulk of Andrew Bynum looming. "I'll reevaluate day to day. If it doesn't happen tomorrow or this week, it's soon." Curry, 29, has not appeared in an NBA game since Dec. 17, 2009, when he was with the New York Knicks. Since then, conditioning issues and injuries have sidetracked the No. 4 overall selection in the 2001 NBA Draft."
January 10
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra just about had it all. "It was good," he said, "to have a full-scale, full-contact, full-padded practice. We haven't had one of these in a couple of weeks." Of course, it would have been better to have a full roster available for Monday's session at the University of San Francisco, particularly his starting backcourt. Of greatest concern was the continued absence of shooting guard Dwyane Wade, who has missed the past three games with what the team had termed a bruised left foot and now is questionable for the remaining three games of this five-game trip, which continues Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors."
December 17
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
Friday's NBA amnesty deadline came and went, and Mike Miller isn't going anywhere. Miami Heat President Pat Riley insisted dropping Miller's contract for luxury-tax and salary-cap savings never was considered. "We love Mike," Riley said during his state-of-the-Heat preseason media session at AmericanAirlines Arena. "We want Mike to play for us and make jumpers and help us just like he did in the playoffs." Miller is sidelined by recent hernia surgery but is optimistic about an expedited recovery schedule that could have him back on the court with fellow Heat wings LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Shane Battier in early January. "He's had just a horrible run of bad luck with injuries," Riley"
December 17
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
This is how the Miami Heat operate, purely on a need-to-know basis. Pat Riley decided the eve of the final season of Erik Spoelstra's contract was the proper time for his coach to know he had security, so he made his move this week, extending Spoelstra's deal. But only when asked during Friday's state-of-the-Heat media session at AmericanAirlines Arena did the Heat president divulge the move. "Erik's contract has been extended," Riley said matter-of-factly several minutes into his question-and-answer session, with no formal release issued by the team. "We have one of the great young coaches in the league that's an absolute member of this family and has been for a long time, so we want him"
December 10
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
Mario Chalmers has decided to attempt another title run alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat. The free-agent point guard announced his decision Friday morning via Twitter, posting, "Imma MIAMI HEAT player until they don't want me no more. Let's get this ring." Chalmers signed a three-year, $12 million deal, with the Heat holding an option for the third year. Because the NBA luxury tax grows exponentially in 2013-14, it is highly unlikely Chalmers would receive that third-year payment. Chalmers returned to AmericanAirlines Arena for workouts Thursday, in advance of Friday's starting of training camp. Unlike fellow Heat free agent James Jones, Chalmers"
December 8
Memphis Commercial Appeal
"
Shane Battier is taking his talents to South Beach. The free agent forward, who helped the Memphis Grizzlies through a historic playoff run last season, used his Twitter account this morning to announce that he'll sign with the Miami Heat. Teams can begin to sign free agents at 1 p.m. Friday, which is also when training camps open. "Over the last week, I've played out every scenario in my head over and over. It always came back to one thing for me: a winning role," Battier wrote on Twitter. "I am appreciative of all the kind words and recruiting pitches over the last week, thank you!!" Battier later added: "Let's Go Heat.""
December 8
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
The notifications came on Twitter shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday. They were from Shane Battier and simple and to the point. The upshot: The versatile veteran swingman at 2 p.m. Friday, the earliest free agents are allowed to sign, will become a member of the Miami Heat. From his timeline: -- "The Lockout gave me a lots of time to consider what was important to me at this stage of my life and career. Over the last week, I've played out every scenario in my head over and over. It always came back to one thing for me: a winning role. I am appreciative of all the kind words and recruiting pitches over the last week, thank you!!" -- "This was a exciting process and after much deliberation, I"
December 3
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
The pace will be grueling, with four games a week. The need for high-quality support essential, with precious little in salary-cap assets to allocate. And health could mean everything, with Mike Miller already sidelined by hernia surgery. So what does Juwan Howard think the Heat need this season? A 38-year-old power forward who turns 39 in February. Howard was back on the Heat practice court Friday, again the first player to arrive at AmericanAirlines Arena. A free agent, he wants to be back for a second season alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh."
November 1
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
As expected, the NBA lowered its lockout hammer Monday on Micky Arison for offering opinions on the ongoing work stoppage on his Twitter account last Friday. NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed to the Sun Sentinel that the league has fined the Miami Heat owner. Yahoo reported the sanction was $500,000. NBA Commissioner David Stern had issued an edict before the July 1 start of the lockout that team and league personnel would not be allowed to comment on the lockout beyond the confines of league-approved media sessions."
October 28
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
The dispute between DirecTV and Fox over programming fees has taken on the heavy-handed rhetoric of a labor strike with South Florida sports fans and millions of satellite TV viewers nationwide caught in the crossfire. DirecTV has threatened to drop several prominent Fox cable networks and 19 regional sports channels if an agreement isn't reached by Nov. 1, affecting most of its 19.5 million viewers. In South Florida, that includes Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports, which broadcast Marlins Get your Marlins Tickets now!, Heat, Panthers and Rays games as well as coverage of the state's major college teams."
October 26
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
That Miami Heat schedule that came out in July? About as useful as tickets to Heat games in November. Even with the union and league poised for a Wednesday resumption of lockout negotiations, the league has confirmed that the schedule issued in July will have to be reworked to accommodate a potential delayed resumption in play. "With the cancellation of the first two weeks of the season, the NBA schedule would have to be reworked," the league said in a statement published in theOrange County Register. Two weeks ago, the league cancelled the first two weeks of the regular season, with the slow-moving negotiations now effectively claiming the final two weeks of November, as well."
October 20
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
The domestic lockout tour of NBA stars apparently is about to take to the world stage. In the wake of a report by a Puerto Rico newspaper last week, ESPN and Yahoo are reporting that a group of NBA stars that would include the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James are poised to participate in a six-game world all-star tour from Oct. 30 through Nov. 9, with stops in Puerto Rico, London, Macau and Australia. While the event is contingent on the continuation of the NBA's work stoppage, the NBA already has cancelled games scheduled through Nov. 15, with additional rolling cancellations expected to be forthcoming if there is no progress in the federal mediation that continues"
October 4
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
In less time than it takes to play an NBA game, all available tickets were snapped up Monday for Saturday's 7 p.m. NBA lockout all-star exhibition at Florida International University. Within an hour of the noon start of sales, all of the $100 lower-level reserved seats were gone for the game that will feature Miami Heat stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. In less than two hours, the remainder of the $50 upper-level seats were sold out, as well. While the game will be played at 5,000-seat U.S. Century Bank Arena, ongoing renovations and other logistics will reduce capacity closer to 4,000. The limited ticket supply created a frenetic scene at the University Credit Union Box"
September 30
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
After carrying five centers last season, the Miami Heat's glut in the middle apparently will be reduced going forward, with Zydrunas Ilgauskas telling the Cleveland Plain-Dealer he is retiring. Ilgauskas went from regular-season starter to postseason afterthought last season, replaced as the starting center during the Heat's postseason run to the NBA Finals by Joel Anthony. The 36-year-old former All-Star nonetheless last June invoked the $1.4 million 2011-12 option on his the two-year Heat contract he signed in the 2010 offseason, to accompany former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James to South Florida. He will now walk away from that guarantee. "Enough is enough," he told the"
September 29
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
"
As a potential new NBA collective-bargaining agreement threatens to rip them apart, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade insists his focus remains on playing alongside LeBron James for years to come. "The one thing about me and LeBron is we want this to work, we want to win championships or compete for championships," Wade said during a Wednesday appearance on ESPN. "So we want to do everything in our power to make sure it works." The ongoing negotiations over a new NBA agreement, however, could be working against the alliance, as well as the one the two have as teammates of Chris Bosh. According to an ESPN report, among the NBA's latest proposals on ending the ongoing lockout is limiting teams"