For the first time since 2006, the Miami Heat have won a championship without LeBron James on their roster. Granted, this title came during the 2024 Las Vegas NBA Summer League after a thrilling 120-118 overtime win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Nevertheless, it's a championship of some kind for the Heat. So that has to count for something, right?
Well, since this year's Las Vegas Summer League was the twentieth-ever, the NBA might have decided to do something extra special for Miami's championship squad.
But after the Heat won it all from the Thomas & Mack Center in Sin City, Miami and NBA fans' reactions were mixed. Some were excited that the Heat were able to win it all and joked about how they didn't need Damian Lillard after all. Others equated it to a Mickey Mouse title, saying that the rings mean nothing unless a team has a Larry O'Brien trophy to match.
Real or not, this NBA Summer League crown is the first ever in Miami's history. The only teams to take the crown more than once are the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings, who have both won twice. Next summer, the Heat might join that group if they can properly defend their title. Considering Miami's squad that won it all in Las Vegas, it certainly remains a possibility.
What led to the Heat winning the 2024 NBA Summer League
This Heat Summer League squad went a perfect 6-0 over the past few weeks, besting the Golden State Warriors in the semifinal and taking down the Grizzlies in the final round. The final game of Summer League gave fans plenty of action, going down to the wire with Memphis guard GG Jackson draining a game-tying shot in the final seconds to send the matchup to overtime.
However, Jackson's heroics could not match the talent of Miami rookie big man Kel'el Ware, who might have been the most impressive rookie at NBA Summer League. Ware showed upside on both sides of the floor against the Grizzlies, getting into double-digit points, easily blocking shots, and contesting the rim on the defensive end. Ware ended his time in Summer League with a strong performance, dropping 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, ten rebounds, and a single block. If Ware begins his rookie season starting alongside Heat big man Bam Adebayo, he could be a favorite for Rookie of the Year.
However, while Ware was dominant, he still didn't do enough to earn 2024 NBA Summer League MVP honors, which instead went to Josh Christopher. After floating around the NBA, Christopher had back-to-back 20-point games in the semifinal and championship games, dropping 24 points, four rebounds, three steals, and a pair of blocks in the final game of the Summer League.
After his solid showing in Las Vegas, fans urged Miami to keep Christopher around when the regular season comes. However, if Ware and Christopher are on the Heat Summer League squad next season, they could add more hardware to their collection.
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