Tim Hardaway joined the Heat for six seasons from 1996 to 2001.
The Miami Heat have had a number of talented table-setters throughout their 38 seasons in the NBA, from Dwyane Wade and LeBron James to Tim Hardaway in the 1990s. Today we’re highlighting which players have had the best assists per game seasons in franchise history.
Tim Hardaway – 1997, 8.6 APG
In his first full campaign with the Heat in 1996-97, Hardaway posted 20.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.9 steals in 81 games, recording 25 double-doubles and 27 outings with at least ten dimes. He earned his first All-Star honors in four years, made his lone All-NBA First Team in his 13-year career, and finished fourth in the MVP race. ‘Tim Bug’ was a five-time All-Star and All-NBA selection while suiting up for Miami, the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers.
Sherman Douglas – 1991, 8.5 APG
At age 24, Douglas averaged 18.5 points, 8.5 assists and 1.7 steals across 73 games in Miami’s third season as a franchise in the NBA. The points represent a career-high for the 28th overall pick in the 1989 draft, who spent a little more than two years in South Beach before being traded to the Boston Celtics midway through the 1991-92 campaign. In 159 contests with the Heat, Douglas tallied 16.0 ppg, 7.9 apg and 1.7 spg.
Tim Hardaway – 1998, 8.3 APG
Hardaway, the 14th overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Warriors, spent his first six-plus seasons as a pro in Golden State until Miami acquired him at the 1996 trade deadline. In his second full campaign as a member of the Heat, Hardaway earned his second consecutive All-Star and All-NBA selections after dropping 18.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 8.3 apg and 1.7 spg over 81 appearances. The 2022 Hall of Fame inductee produced career averages of 17.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 8.2 apg and 1.6 spg in 867 contests between 1989 and 2003.
Sherman Douglas – 1990, 7.6 APG
Douglas was impressive during his rookie season in 1989-90, when he averaged 14.3 points, 7.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 81 games (66 starts), earning the 6-foot, 180-lb guard All-Rookie honors. In addition to his run in Miami, ‘The General’ spent time with Boston, the New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers over the course of his 12-year career, recording 11.0 ppg, 5.9 apg and 1.0 spg across 765 total outings.
Kyle Lowry – 2022, 7.5 APG
In Lowry’s debut campaign with the Heat in 2021-22, the then 35-year-old appeared in 63 games and averaged 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.1 steals. It was the tenth consecutive season in which ‘Bulldog’ dished out at least 6.4 dimes per game, a mark he reached in 12 of his 19 years as a professional. Across 155 contests with Miami, the 24th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft recorded 11.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.8 apg and 1.1 spg. Lowry, who won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, has also suited up for the Grizzlies, Rockets and 76ers, with the Philadelphia native expected to play in his 20th season for his hometown club in 2025-26.
