2012–13 Miami Heat season
The 2012–13 Miami Heat season was the franchise's 25th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They came into the season as the defending NBA champions, back-to-back Eastern Conference champions, the third season playing with the "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and the fifth season under head coach Erik Spoelstra.
| 2012–13 Miami Heat season | |
|---|---|
NBA champions | |
Conference champions | |
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Erik Spoelstra |
| President | Pat Riley |
| Owner(s) | Micky Arison |
| Arena | American Airlines Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 66–16 (.805) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Southeast) Conference: 1st (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Champions (Defeated Spurs 4–3) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Sun Sports |
| Radio | 790 The Ticket |
During the season, the Heat embarked on a 27-game winning streak, which at the time ranked as the second longest winning streak in NBA history, and finished with a 66–16 record, the best record with the Big Three and a franchise best. James, Wade and Bosh were all selected for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, while James won his fourth NBA Most Valuable Player Award at the end of the season, just one vote shy of winning the award unanimously.
On June 3, 2013, the Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals to become the first team since the Chicago Bulls in 1998 to Three-peat as Eastern Conference champions. The Heat then defeated the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA Finals that went the full seven games, handing the Spurs their first loss in the NBA Finals, and with this victory in the NBA Finals, it echoed the 1997–98 Bulls, as they had also been the last Eastern team to repeat as NBA champions. Because of their dominant regular and postseason performance as well as James' individual achievements, this Miami Heat team is widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in NBA history.