Heat unveils Miami Mashup Vol. 2 uniform. Also, is another arena name change on the way?

The Miami Heat’s Miami Mashup City Edition uniform is back, but with a few twists.

The next evolution of the Miami Mashup concept, which was released just after midnight on Thursday morning as Miami Mashup Vol. 2, swaps black for white as the uniform’s base color while keeping the rest of the design essentially the same as last season’s version.

The Heat will debut its new City Edition uniform in Thursday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets at FTX Arena.

As part of the reveal, the team described the new look in a press release: “Miami Mashup Vol. 2 celebrates the most iconic on-court looks throughout the team’s 35-year history. “Mashed-up” renderings of the team’s “MIAMI,” “HEAT,” and “ball and flame” marks remain in place, as do the uniform’s smaller, more historical touches, including the “15 STRONG” anthem mark, “yellow rope” trim, Championship years belt graphic, and satin-striped side panels.”

“We love the Miami Mashup uniform because it matched that same energy as Vice,” said Jennifer Alvarez, the Heat’s senior vice president of brand and chief creative officer. “Very colorful, very vibrant. But it did something that Vice didn’t do, which was celebrate our past and all of the unique moments that make up our past.”

The numbers remain the most unique aspect of the Miami Mashup design, with the Heat billing it last season as “the first uniform in professional sports to feature unique, individualized number styles across each player’s jersey.”

This season, there are four new Heat number sets available to choose from as part of the Miami Mashup Vol. 2 uniform: ViceVersa, Flordians Home, Association and White Hot. That’s in addition to the eight number styles that were available for last season’s uniform: pulling from the Hardwood Classics black and white uniforms, Back in Black uniform, the traditional core uniform set, the Floridians uniform, the Vice Nights uniform, the Trophy Ring Banner uniform worn on opening night following the 2013 championship and a 15 Strong numerical font.

Heat players and fans can customize their jersey using these 12 different number sets. With four additional styles to choose from as part of the Miami Mashup Vol. 2 uniform, the total tally of possible number combinations jumps from 5,256 last season to 12,656 this season.

“I think that’s what made this uniform campaign such a success was because of how personal it became,” Alvarez said.

Fans will be able to purchase the Miami Mashup Vol. 2 “Player’s Choice” jerseys based on the number styles each player picked or they’ll be able to mix and match the number styles to customize their own jersey. More than 40 percent of the Miami Mashup jerseys that have been sold since the first version was released last year have been custom jerseys, according to Alvarez.

“The reason why we think this works so well with our fan base is because can you get any more Miami than people wanting to make something truly unique to themselves?” Alvarez said. “They’re able to be a Heat fan, they’re able to be a Bam Adebayo fan. But they’re able to make their own version of it and that’s what fans really loved.”

The first opportunity to purchase Miami Mashup Vol. 2 merchandise started at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday at www.themiamiheatstore.com.

Miami Mashup Vol. 2 jerseys will be sold at all Miami Heat store locations — FTX Arena, Dolphin Mall, Pembroke Lakes Mall, Miami International Airport and at Dadeland Mall. The jersey will also be available at the Heat Jersey Lab outside Section 112 at FTX Arena.

The Miami Mashup court will again be used for designated Heat games at FTX Arena. The court looks essentially the same as the Miami Mashup court that was used last season, incorporating different aspects of the franchise’s history.

But this season’s version of the court features “a small commemorative touch along the midcourt sideline to coincide with the 35th Anniversary: the 35th Anniversary logo itself as well as “EST. 1988,” rendered in assorted Heat letters and numbers.”

The Heat is scheduled to wear the Miami Mashup Vol. 2 uniform in 21 games this season: Thursday vs. Hornets, Saturday vs. Hornets, Wednesday at Raptors, Nov. 23 vs. Wizards, Nov. 25 vs. Wizards, Nov. 27 at Hawks, Dec. 2 at Celtics, Dec. 8 vs. Clippers, Dec. 10 vs. Spurs, Dec. 20 vs. Bulls, Dec. 28 vs. Lakers, Dec. 31 at Jazz, Jan. 4 at Lakers, Jan. 6 at Suns, Feb. 11 at Magic, Feb. 13 vs. Nuggets, March 1 vs. 76ers, March 6 vs. Hawks, March 8 vs. Cavaliers, March 25 vs. Nets and March 28 at Raptors.

For more information, visit Heat.com.

ANOTHER ARENA NAME CHANGE COMING?

The official name change from AmericanAirlines Arena to FTX Arena happened less than two years ago. But there’s already speculation regarding whether another name change will be needed for the Heat’s home building.

Amid the liquidity crisis of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the company’s very uncertain future, the naming rights have again come into question.

The Heat on Wednesday said when asked about those questions, “It is far too premature for us to comment.”

Binance backed out of its plans to acquire FTX this week amid reports that the company “mishandled customer funds and alleged US agency investigations.”

Miami-Dade commissioners in March 2021 approved the 19-year deal worth $135 million contract with FTX for naming rights at the Heat’s county-owned arena, and the building’s name was formally changed to FTX Arena in June 2021. The agreement represented the NBA’s first arena sponsor from the cryptocurrency industry, with Staples Center in Los Angeles becoming Crypto.com Arena soon after.