Micky Arison sits courtside, at center court, when his Miami Heat play home games. That’s about as much of the spotlight as he wants.
He rarely speaks publicly. He prefers to keep much of what he does and says behind the scenes, instead deferring much of the forward-facing duties to the likes of team president Pat Riley, coach Erik Spoelstra and Heat players. And that’s why Arison’s enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend is a bit of a double-edged sword for the man who has held the role of Heat managing general partner for the last 30-plus years.
On one hand, it’s the greatest individual honor in basketball. On the other, it means he has to make a speech on Saturday night.
“Our goal was to create a fantastic atmosphere in Miami,” Arison said Friday at the Hall of Fame’s media circuit, the prelude to the official start of the weekend’s festivities. “Most great NBA players, obviously, this is a goal for them. Great coaches, this is a goal for them. It´s never been a goal for me. Despite that, I´m extremely appreciative and recognize that it´s a tremendous honor.”
The hesitation about taking a public bow makes sense, if one knows much about Arison. His father, Carnival Cruise Line founder Ted Arison, was one of the biggest keys to Miami getting an NBA franchise in the first place. When the idea was discussed within the family, Micky Arison recommended that his father not get involved with sports. His thinking was simple: Ted Arison had already built a wildly successful cruise line, so why would he want to instead become known as the guy who drafted the wrong player or executed a bad trade?
Ted Arison didn’t listen and got involved anyway. Micky Arison assumed full control of the team in 1995 and hired Riley a few months later. After 30 years and three championships, the Hall of Fame called.
FILE – Micky Arison speaks during a Naismith Hall Fame Class of 2025 inductee news conference at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
“When he bought the interest in the Heat in 1995 and got managing control of the Heat, that´s the day that the franchise took a turn,” Riley said. “And unbeknownst to a lot of people, they didn´t know what kind of turn it was going to be. But that´s the day that the franchise began to move in another direction. He saved, basically, my coaching life, I think.”
The turn that the Heat took under Arison was a great one. Over his 30 years in charge, the Heat have the three titles, seven Eastern Conference titles and the third-best record in the NBA over that span – behind only San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Micky is one of the great human beings,” said longtime Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, a fellow Hall of Famer and someone who had Nick Arison – Micky’s son, and now the Heat CEO – with him at Duke as a manager.
“You know, I´ve been fortunate to be a friend of Micky’s for decades now,” Krzyzewski said. “The class, the dignity and the humility that he has shown throughout … what a deserving honor for him. He’s touched a lot of people in magnificent ways and without wanting anything in return. He’s just a great human being. I respect the heck out of him.”
Arison is going into the Hall of Fame this weekend as part of a class that also includes the 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team that Krzyzewski coached, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, Billy Donovan, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and Dan Crawford.
Arison will be presented for his induction at Springfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday night by Riley, Alonzo Mourning – a Heat player and now longtime team executive – and Dwyane Wade, a trio of Heat legends who were previously enshrined in the Hall of Fame. They’ll be with him when he gives his speech.
Choosing them to be there for that moment, Arison said, was easy.
“They were three key elements to the history, to 30 years,” Arison said. “Obviously, Pat was with me from almost the very beginning. Zo, the first year. And really from there, the culture was created. And Dwyane Wade helped take it to the top and has been obviously the greatest player in Heat history with a statue on the top of the steps (of the team’s arena). I´m glad those three will be with me.”
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