Miami Heat attendance at its highest since the LeBron James years

Miami Heat rank No. 4 in attendance, the highest since 2014

Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler has played a role in the team returning to the top half of the Eastern Conference.

He's also helped bring more fans to AmericanAirlines Arena this season. The Heat have the fourth-highest attendance in the league at 19,694 fans per game. It is the first time they have ranked in the top four since 2014. That year they averaged 19,781 fans in the final season of the LeBron James era.

The increase can somewhat be attributed to the arrival of Butler. He has led the Heat to a 31-14 record entering Monday's game against the Orlando Magic. They hold the No. 2 spot in the East and are a league-best 20-2 at home. The only teams with higher attendance are the Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks and the defending champion Toronto Raptors.

Last year the Heat finished fifth in attendance, largely because it was the final years for guard Dwyane Wade. He retired after 16 seasons and drew fans with his farewell tour. 

The Heat have become a main draw this season because of the success. Butler's presence has also played a factor. He brought instant star power once he was acquired in a trade from the 76ers last July. His name and the emergence of young players Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn have added to the appeal.  

The Heat could have many as seven participants at NBA All-Star Weekend next month in Chicago. Butler and Adebayo are expected to be named All-Star reserves Thursday while Herro and Nunn are locks for the Rising Stars Challenge. Forward Derrick Jones Jr. has already accepted an invite for the slam dunk contest while Duncan Robinson is a candidate for the 3-point contest. If the Heat hold the No. 2 spot, coach Erik Spoelstra will represent the East. 


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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here