- Address: 601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami
- Country: United States
- Capacity: 19,000
- Opened: 31 December 1999
- Main use: Basketball
- Tenants: Miami Heat (basketball)
Extra stadium info – Kaseya Center
The construction of the arena, which opened as the American Airlines Arena, started in February 1998. It is known as a venue for several events, like basketball, concerts, mixed martial arts and wrestling. The Kaseya Center opened with a concert of Gloria Estefan. The Miami Sol, a former basketball club, played numerous home games at the venue. The club folded in 2002 because of financial problems.
The Miami Heat
The Miami Heat, one of the most popular basketball clubs in the world, moved to the Kaseya Center in 2000. The basketball club was founded in 1988. They won their first NBA championship in 2006 after beating the Dallas Mavericks from Texas. The Heat drew an average attendance of 19,000 in 41 home matches during that NBA season. The basketball legend Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal played numerous matches for the Miami Heat in that NBA season.
The professional basketball career of LeBron James
LeBron James, a former player of the Miami Heat, became the highest-paid basketball player in the world. He started his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers from Ohio. In 2010, he joined the Miami Heat. LeBron James won two NBA championship titles with the club. He won his first NBA championship title in 2012 after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder with the Heat. One year later, James won his second NBA Championship title after defeating the San Antonio Spurs from Texas with the Miami Heat. He left the Heat in 2014, when he returned to the Cavaliers. In 2018, LeBron left the Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers. He won three Olympics medals with the national basketball team of the United States.
The successor of Space Jam
LeBron James featured in the successor of Space Jam. The world famous movie with animation sequences named Space Jam released in 1996. In the movie, the world famous basketball legend Michael Jordan is enlisted by Looney Tunes characters to help them in a basketball match between the Tune Squad and the Monstars. The successor of Space Jam released in 2021. In the movie, LeBron James joins the Tune Squad to help them defeat the Goon Squad. The Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Foghorn Leghorn, Gossamer, Granny, Lola Bunny, Porky Pig, Roadrunner, Speedy Gonzalez, Sylvester, Taz, Tweety, Wile E. Coyote and Yosemite Sam also played for the Tune Squad in the movie.
