The most successful eras in Miami Heat history have something in common: They usually don’t last longer than four seasons. And if they do go longer than four seasons … it’s not for much longer. The Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway era went for six seasons, as they helped the Heat make the Eastern Conference finals in 1997 but never advanced to the NBA Finals. Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal played together for four seasons, teaming up to lead the Heat to its first NBA championship in 2006 before that core was broken up two seasons later. The Heat’s Big 3 era featuring the superstar trio of Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Wade lasted four seasons, producing two NBA championships in 2012 and 2013 while making four NBA Finals appearances. The Jimmy Butler era featuring Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro has turned into one of the most successful and memorable stretches in Heat history despite not yet winning an NBA title, making three East finals appearances and time could be running out on this iteration of the Heat, as the Adebayo-Butler-Herro combination begins its fifth season together on Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons at Kaseya Center (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Sun). “It’s been successful,” Heat president Pat Riley said to the Miami Herald when asked about this current period in Heat history, “but it hasn’t translated into a championship.”
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