Miami Celebrates Another HEAT Championship

As a caravan of flat-bed 18-wheelers and double-decker buses traveled Miami’s Biscayne Boulevard, carrying the 2013 NBA Champion Miami HEAT players, coaches and their families, hundreds of thousands of fans endured rain and summer heat to catch a glimpse of the three-time world champions.

Screaming fans, holding signs declaring “Champions,” lined the parade route from SW 8 Street to the American Airlines Arena.  The signs were provided by Doctors Hospital Center for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, the official sports medicine provider for the Miami HEAT.

Also part of the celebration were medical teams from Baptist Health South Florida, staffing six first aid stations along the parade’s path and caring for parade goers falling victim to 95-degree weather and dehydration.

Much like these medical providers, who are charged with maintaining the health of parade watchers, one doctor takes his responsibility for keeping the HEAT players healthy throughout the regular season and beyond very seriously – Harlan Selesnick, M.D., the HEAT’s team physician for the past 25 years.

For his important role with the team, Dr. Selesnick earned his place alongside the HEAT staff on the top of a double-decker bus this year, as he did in the 2006 and 2012 parades.  While he has witnessed many victories during the franchise’s history, winning a championship, he says, is “really great.”

“This was super exciting,” he said. “I think this one was even better than the last two, because it took so much effort from the players to make it this far – a little bit of luck and a lot of excitement.  And fortunately, health wise, we made it through to the championship.”

Dr. Selesnick, who wears the championship ring from the HEAT’s 2012 NBA Finals title, enjoys the celebration of the team’s win like every other HEAT fan. But, he says, all his patients are important to him, even if they’re not professional basketball players.  In fact, after today’s parade, Dr. Selesnick planned to go into work this afternoon to make up office time he lost when he was traveling with the HEAT during the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Baptist Health and Doctors Hospital Center for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine congratulate Dr. Selesnick and the entire Miami HEAT organization for their successful 2012-2013 season and look forward to serving the HEAT and their fans again next year.  Go HEAT!