History of the Miami Heat Pt. 17 (2000-2001 Season)

After being knocked out of the playoffs by the New York Knicks in the series-deciding game for the third straight season, Pat Riley decided it was time for the Heat to undergo some changes. In the summer of 2000, they acquired Eddie Jones and Anthony Mason from the Charlotte Hornets as well as Brian Grant from the Portland Trail-Blazers. However, the cost was parting ways with Jamal Mashburn and PJ Brown, key players over the last four seasons.

Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway traveled to Sydney, Australia that summer to be a part of the olympic "dream team" that would eventually win the gold medal, making them the first two Heat players to ever win Olympic gold medals.

Unfortunately, the elation soon turned to fear. On the plain ride home from the Olympics, Alonzo Mourning noticed that his legs were very badly swollen. Upon getting a physical the next day at the start of training camp, it was discovered that Zo had a chronic kidney disease; Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. The concern of basketball suddenly became secondary to that of Mournin g's well-being. On October 16, 2000 (exactly ten years ago today from the upload of this video), it was announced that Alonzo would not play in the 2000-2001 season.

The tragedy helped bring the team closer together, and with some motivation from coach Pat Riley, the Heat embarked on yet another winning season, this time, without Zo. However, he surprisingly made a courageous return to the Heat's lineup on March 27, 2001 against the Toronto Raptors, and would make the game-winning dunk several weeks later against the Milwaukee Bucks. With their full lineup in-tact for the first time all year, Miami finished the regular season strongly with a 50-32 record, qualifying for the playoffs for the sixth straight season and earning the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Heat met the 6th seeded Charlotte Hornets in the first round, the same team they had traded Jamal Mashburn and PJ Brown to the previous summer. Despite having the better regular season record, the Heat were absolutely obliterated by the Hornets. Charlotte took the first two games in Miami by 26 each, before closing out the series on their home floor by 15.

This loss marked the end of the Mourning-Hardaway era that had started 5 years earlier. The Heat would not make the playoffs again for several years.