Top 3 players from Miami Heat who could've won the NBA Championship but didn't

#2 Tim Hardaway

The legendary Tim Hardaway (Source: GettyImages)

Tim Hardaway was a two-time All-Star with the Miami Heat who led the franchise to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 1996-97 season. Hardaway averaged 18.7 points, 1.6 steals, seven assists and 4.1 rebounds in the playoffs as the Heat steamrolled the East before eventually falling to the defending champion Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan.

That was the closest Hardaway came to reaching an NBA Finals despite having better scoring seasons. The trio of Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn and Alonzo Mourning gave the Heat a solid foundation to build a competitive team.

Unfortunately for Miami, they ran into either the Chicago Bulls dynasty or perennial contenders the New York Knicks, led by the legendary Patrick Ewing.

Hardaway's career took a different turn post his Miami stint as he turned into a journeyman, competing with three other teams before retiring in 2003 with the Indiana Pacers with five All-Star appearances to his name.

Despite Hardaway's Miami stint being more successful, albeit not being able to win a ring, he will always be known for the seven years he spent as a star for the Golden State Warriors.

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#1 Jimmy Butler

Miami Heat All-Star Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler is a five-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Defensive team honoree and four-time All-NBA team honoree. Butler is a tenacious guard who plays with ferocity like no other.

His mentality and mindset made him the ideal fit for the Miami Heat as he perfectly resembled the qualities preached in their organizational culture. He signed for the Miami Heat after a complex four-team sign and trade, and there was no looking back for Miami post that.

Butler made them an immediate championship contender in the Eastern Conference, leading them to the NBA Finals while averaging 22.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 0.7 blocks. He had massive games en route to the Finals, like his brilliant 40-point performance against title favorite Milwaukee Bucks and league MVP Giannis.

Miami was unable to get over the hump despite Butler setting multiple records in the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Jimmy Butler's story of coming so close yet so far is heartbreaking and is something that will hopefully end soon as he gears up to compete for the revamped Miami Heat with additional help from the likes of Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker.

Butler's best chance of winning did not come with the Heat despite him going closer than ever before. That opportunity came when he was part of a Philadelphia 76ers superteam with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris, who lost to the Toronto Raptors after a last moment buzzer beater from Kawhi Leonard in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Despite having more success with his other teams, Butler will be remembered as a lifelong Bull after spending six years with the franchise that drafted him and will most likely have his jersey retired by Chicago once he decides to wrap up his career.