Miami Heat uniforms have been some of the best looking in NBA history since their inaugural season in 1988-89. For the average fan, the Heat uniforms are a visual delight.
From the very beginning, they had one of the most attractive uniforms and color schemes. They have had a lot of success with their over 35 jerseys, but there have also been some misses.
Listed here are some of the best and worst Heat throwback jerseys.
Best Heat Throwback Jerseys:
Vice Wave City Edition (2019-20)
As soon as the Heat’s Vice Collection’s fourth edition dropped, this heat throwback jersey went viral.
The pink and black accents on the blue jersey of the Gala are a perfect representation of the lights in the Miami skyline at night.
They associate these jerseys with the Eastern Conference Championship-winning Heat of 2019-20.
The Classic Red Alternates (1996-99, 2012-13)
The blood-red jerseys with black and white trim made their debut in February 1996. They later became a fixture of the team’s uniform rotation.
The Heat wore these jerseys for two generations. There were two generations of Heat players in the ‘90s: the Tim Hardaway/Alonzo Mourning (late 90s) generation and the 2012-13 era of the big 3.
There were four alternate jerseys for the Heat in 2012 and 2013, which changed from the one they wore today. The Heat went through some changes for the upcoming season. On the front of the away black jersey, the words Heat changed to Miami.
Only during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, both the home and away jerseys feature a 25th-anniversary patch. The Heat debuted this season wearing their championship jerseys for the first time.
White Hot (2013)
With the White Hot campaign during the 2006 Playoffs, they draped every seat in American Airlines Arena in white.
Dwyane Wade delivered one of the greatest Finals performances ever as he capped off the run for the ages.
In the first NBA playoff home game, Heat fans wore one solid color. They were one of the first teams to adopt the trend.
When Miami won consecutive championships in 2012 and 2013, they kept the all-white theme.
It was slightly different for the Heat to wear two other jerseys when they played the Nets and the Celtics in January. They adorned the back of these home whites with the nicknames of each player instead of their last names.
The Best of the Best: The Standard Heat Uniforms
Since 1999, the Miami Heat have used a uniform design that has worked. And that is one of the best in the league. In the history of basketball, they have worn these jerseys in some of the most memorable games.
Over the past two decades, there has been only one significant change to the colors, with “Heat” being replaced by “Miami” on the black road jerseys in 2012.
Worst Heat Throwback Jerseys:
Home Strong (2016-17)
They wore the Home Strong uniforms around Veterans Day as a tribute to the military heroes. The jerseys were hideous, regardless of their wholesome appeal.
Despite its yellow and red hardwood floor, the army colors did not match the Heat’s yellow and red. Rarely will you see someone wearing a Home Strong jersey anywhere, let alone a Heat game jersey. The concept was interesting, but the execution was poor.
Worst: “Trophy Gold” Earned Edition (2021)
It’s another example of a fantastic design that failed to live up to expectations. The timing of the uniforms and making Bam Adebayo look like a bumblebee only hindered the team.
The team designed the jerseys displaying the three championships in its history less than one year after losing the Finals. If you ask anyone, it seemed like a questionable move and poor timing.
Worst: ViceVersa City Edition (2020-21)
In the first few months of the 2020-21 season, the Vice Collection was arguably the most popular jersey ever.
Regardless of their previous success, these uniforms completely threw it out the window.
It might have been possible to save these candy-like cotton atrocities if they split the colors horizontally rather than vertically.
By looking at them, you could tell the left and right parts of the sleeves belonged to different jerseys. That is more proof of the flaw in the design.
For Heat fans everywhere, the season 2020-2021 was one to be forgotten.
Worst of the Worst: 2014 Christmas Jerseys?
During this season, they wore t-shirts! It was the first heat jersey with sleeves. The fronts of the Red Zone jerseys were white with a red outline, and the backs were the same as the white-hot jerseys.
The uniform was like what they wore on Christmas Day during the previous seasons, but it was more white than the last season. The Heat and Lakers wore the league’s Christmas Day uniforms on Christmas Day that year. The sleeves of these all bore the player’s number and a red silver logo.