Dwyane Wade led the Miami Heat franchise in single season steals per game. Check out who else made the list.
The Miami Heat have had several talented defenders suit up throughout their 38 years in the NBA. This article will dig into the greatest steals seasons in franchise history, from Tim Hardaway to Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. Steals did not become an official NBA stat until the 1973-74 season.
Dwyane Wade – 2009, 2.2 SPG
Dwyane Wade’s 2008-09 campaign was arguably his best individual season throughout his legendary 16-year career. He led the NBA in scoring at a career-high 30.2 points per game, adding a career-high 7.5 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.3 blocks with 5.0 rebounds across 79 outings. Wade also led the league in free-throws made (7.5) and field-goals made (10.8) and attempted (22.0), helping him finish third in the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year votes while earning All-Star, First Team All-NBA, and Second Team All-Defensive selections. The 173 total steals he collected are still the most in a single season in franchise history.
Jimmy Butler – 2021, 2.1 SPG
During the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, Jimmy Butler put up 21.5 points with career-highs in rebounds (6.9), assists (7.1) and steals (2.1) across 52 appearances. He led the league in steals that year, tallying 18 games with three or more swipes, including three outings with five or more, and compiled 17 double-doubles and four triple-doubles (all of which came in a five-game stretch). Butler earned Second Team All-Defensive and Third Team All-NBA nods for his efforts, and finished tenth in the DPOY race. Over the course of his 14-year career, Butler has posted averages of 18.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.3 apg and 1.6 spg in 869 total contests (764 starts) with the Heat, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors.
Mario Chalmers – 2009, 2.0 SPG
In his rookie campaign in 2008-09, Mario Chalmers finished 11th in the Rookie of the Year race after averaging 10.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and a career-high 2.0 steals per game over 82 regular-season starts. He tallied 26 outings with three or more steals, including four games with five-plus steals, and set a personal best with nine steals in the opening week of the season. Chalmers played a significant role for the Miami teams that won back-to-back NBA championships in 2012 and 2013. Across his seven-plus seasons with the Heat, Chalmers amassed averages of 8.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.8 apg and 1.5 spg in 525 appearances (383 starts).
Dwyane Wade – 2006, 1.9 SPG
Wade established himself as one of the best guards in the NBA during his third professional campaign in 2005-06. Wade went off for 27.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game across 75 starts at age-24. He garnered All-Star and Second Team All-NBA selections for the second consecutive year while finishing sixth in the MVP race. Wade is a 13-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive, three-time NBA champ, the 2005-06 Finals MVP, and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, all of which earned him a Hall of Fame induction in 2023.
Tim Hardaway – 1997, 1.9 SPG
Tim Hardaway rounds out our list with the 1.9 steals per game he swiped during his age-30 campaign in 1996-97, his first of five full years in South Beach. He added 20.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 8.6 assists across 81 appearances (all starts), numbers that rewarded Hardaway with an All-Star selection and the only First Team All-NBA honor of his 13-year career. Over five and a half years in Miami, Hardaway averaged 17.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 7.8 apg and 1.5 spg in 367 total contests. He also suited up for the Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and Indiana Pacers before retiring in 2003. Hardaway is a five-time All-NBA and All-Star who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.
