Bleacher Report Makes Two Questionable Picks For Miami Heat Mount Rushmore

The third and fourth spots are where it gets more complicated, and the writer used a bit of a recency bias.

SG Dwyane Wade
SF LeBron James
SF Jimmy Butler
C Bam Adebayo

Dwyane Wade is the Miami Heat franchise and needs no justification. LeBron James spent only four years with the organization, but he spearheaded two titles and four consecutive NBA Finals appearances. Leaving him off would be unforgivable.

Jimmy Butler's tenure with Miami ending in a contentious fog can't negate over a half-decade's worth of serious impact. The Heat made three Eastern Conference Finals and two Finals trips with him in the fold. Playoff Jimmy became the stuff of lore, and D-Wade and LeBron are the franchise's only other players with more All-NBA nods since 2000.

Settling on the last spot is a journey. Udonis Haslem wins the Emotional Attachment Olympics. Shaquille O'Neal picked up a title along with two All-NBA appearances during his three-plus seasons in South Beach. Chris Bosh deserves an honorable mention for his role during the Big Three era.Dan Favale, Bleacher Report

Butler comes in third on Bleacher Report's list, but wouldn't for everyone. He did drag the Heat to two NBA Finals, but he also quit due to a contract dispute in his final season. He didn't leave as a free agent as James did. He forced a trade. Shaquille O'Neal won a title in Miami, Chris Bosh won two, even if they weren't the team's driving force when that happened. Butler likely belongs in the top five, maybe the top four, but top three is tough until some of the bitter feelings fade.

The fourth spot is even more controversial.

As we recently chronicled, Bam Adebayo has been moving up the Miami Heat charts in several categories, and he's also elevated to captain. He's had a terrific tenure, but he hasn't won a title yet, and he's never been the team's leading scorer in a season.

So it's hard to overlook Alonzo Mourning for one of the four spots. Already a Hall of Famer, Mourning set the foundation for the Heat after his acquisition in 1995. He won a title as a key backup in 2006. And he's still with the organization. Bleacher Report considered Mourning but went with Adebayo.

However, Bam Adebayo's longevity is ultimately too much for anyone else to overcome. He's a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate who ranks second among all Heat players during this era in points, rebounds and assists, third in total minutes and steals and fourth in blocks.Dan Favale, Bleacher Report.

Longevity matters. But even Adebayo would likely give the impact nod to Mourning.

The culture started with Zo.

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