Six years ago today, the Lakers beat the Heat 96-102 in the 2019-20 NBA Finals, the last time this franchise played for a championship. Miami enters 2026-27 at 0-0, having rebuilt around Bam Adebayo and newly added Giannis Antetokounmpo, with the preseason opener already in the books.
The scar
On this date in 2020, the Lakers closed out the Heat 96-102 in the NBA Finals, the last championship series Miami has played. That series is the measuring stick every Heat team since has been built against. Six years later the record is 0-0, and the only game logged is a preseason win, 129-105 at Toronto on October 3.
Adebayo's bar
Bam Adebayo was already on that 2020 team. Last season he set the franchise single-game scoring record with 83 points against the Wizards on March 10, 2026, the second-highest total in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100. He wears Dan Marino's honored No. 13 now, and he is the one constant between that Finals roster and this one.
Culture, not nostalgia
Heat Culture is the label stitched on the franchise's black jerseys, built on conditioning over star power. It carried Miami past top-seeded Milwaukee as the No. 8 seed in 2023 and past Boston in that year's conference finals. Atlanta has delivered the more recent sting, eliminating the Heat in a play-in game. Every postseason still runs through one of those three teams.
What's actually new
Giannis Antetokounmpo is now on the roster alongside Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Pelle Larsson. Miami has $210.5 million committed, above the first apron, with Antetokounmpo's $58.5 million the largest number on the books. The real opener is October 21 against Minnesota on ESPN, with three more preseason games first.
Bottom line
The Lakers loss from 2020 is six years old, but it is still the last time Miami played a Finals game. Everything since, including this week's roster, is measured against getting back there.
When did the Heat last play in the NBA Finals?
Miami's last Finals appearance was in 2020, when the Lakers beat the Heat, including a 96-102 loss on October 6 of that year.
What is the Heat's record heading into 2026-27?
Miami is 0-0. The only game played so far is a preseason win, 129-105 at Toronto on October 3, with the regular-season opener set for October 21 against Minnesota.
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