The SN Rushmore project selected four professional athletes from the 13 cities that have had at least four of the five leagues represented for at least 20 years: NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and WNBA. While there were no hard and fast rules regarding the athletes chosen, our panel of experts considered individual resumes, team success, and legacy within each city’s sports landscape. There could be multiple players from the same franchise, and not every franchise had to be represented. Every sports fan has an opinion on this subject. This is our property.

Miami is the pro sports capital of South Florida. It’s been nearly 30 years since the MLB’s Marlins and NHL’s Panthers provided hot spot representation in all four of the “big four.”

For 30 years prior to 1993, the Dolphins dominated the scene. The Heat arrived in 1988 and eventually evolved into a South Beach version of “Showtime,” leading up to the peak years with LeBron James and providing the city with multiple rings to end its championship drought.

That made it easier for Game Defenders‘ panel of experts to lean toward a 1-2 punch of football and basketball when deciding who should be on Miami’s Mount Rushmore.

Dolphins quarterbacks who came after beloved Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Bob Griese continue to be measured against them. Although there were numerous strong defensive candidates, led by edge rusher extraordinaire Jason Taylor, two quarterbacks were deemed to be the best representatives from the city’s most enduring team.

For the Heat, despite having four spectacular prime seasons with them, including two NBA MVPs, two NBA titles, and two more Eastern Conference titles, James‘ time in Miami was deemed a little too brief to be immortalised on the city’s Mount Rushmore. As a result, his former superstar teammate Dwyane Wade became the franchise’s first choice.

With James and other short-term overall greats like Shaquille O’Neal out of the picture, Alonzo Mourning had to be the second Heat player over many others, given the big man’s significant contributions on the court and in the community. Much like Marino and Griese were extensions of Don Shula, Mourning’s association with Pat Riley’s indelible mark in Miami was important.

Local sports expert Omar Kelly, NFL columnist for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, agreed that it was difficult to reconcile the Dolphins‘ long-standing presence in the city and the Heat’s meteoric rise with fans’ feelings about the city’s newer baseball and hockey teams.

“For decades, we had only the Dolphins and the Miami Hurricanes. Then the Heat came along as an expansion franchise, so did the Florida/Miami Marlins and then the Panthers. We also have a very big transplant community,” Kelly added.

“When you talk about the hard-core fans, these are people born and bred here and people who suffered through those lean years where you had to talk about the Dolphins and Hurricanes year-round, as opposed to the newcomers who benefited from having four major sports franchises.”

When it came to replacing either of the two Dolphins or two Heat players, other Dolphins and Heat players received SN consideration over top Marlins (Jeff Conine) and Panthers players (Roberto Luongo).

MARINO, DAN (Dolphins, 1983-1999)

Marino was the final quarterback selected in the first round of the illustrious 1983 NFL Draft class. Before the Dolphins‘ turn at No. 28, the Colts, Chiefs, and the rest of the AFC East — the Bills, Patriots, and Jets — all selected quarterbacks. Marino’s predecessors, John Elway and Jim Kelly, were also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Marino dominated the early 1980s as the AFC counterpart to Joe Montana before Elway and Kelly got to multiple Super Bowls. As a young gun out of Pitt, he made an immediate impression on the Dolphins faithful, showing off his big arm and prolific downfield passing once he displaced David Woodley as a rookie.

Marino was already a local legend by Year 2. He led the league in attempts, completions, passing yards, passer rating, yards per attempt, and a then-record 48 touchdown passes at the age of 23, breaking the previous record by ten. Marino’s MVP-caliber season propelled the team to the Super Bowl XIX against Montana’s 49ers.

Marino would never win another AFC championship with the Dolphins, but he would continue to pick apart defences for the next decade. He was the only quarterback to defeat the mighty, Super Bowl-shuffling Bears in an epic Monday night performance in 1985. Marino’s talented receivers, led by go-to guys Mark Duper and Mark Clayton, continued to light it up over the years.

Marino’s Dolphins led Shula’s final coaching wave with a string of winning seasons. From his iconic Isotoner glove commercials to his hilarious turn in “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” his popular play was bound to make him a crossover celebrity.

“There’s no question about his spot on Mount Rushmore. It was his greatness on the field, pre-Achilles injury that really cemented him, even if he had never played again,” Kelly says.

Marino never missed a start from his rookie season in 1983 until he tore his Achilles in October 1993. He recovered from that devastation to make two more Pro Bowls and remain the team’s undisputed leader. Marino could walk away knowing he gave everything he had on the field in 17 seasons in Miami, even without that elusive ring, when age and wear finally caught up with him. Dolphins fans admired his toughness and talent, and he is still the first face that comes to mind when they see their classic helmets.

“The broadcasting career, the fact that he still has roots here and works for the Dolphins organization, all of those things played a part. That was the easiest layup,” Kelly says. “He already does have a statue … and now Dwyane Wade is due one in front of the Heat’s arena.”

Marino By The Numbers

All-Pro First Team	3
NFL MVPs	1
Pro Bowls	9
Times leading NFL in passing yards	5
Times leading NFL in passing TDs	3
Super Bowl appearances	1

WADE, DWYANE (Heat, 2003-16, 2018-19)

As memories of Marino fade for younger generations, another lovable player made his mark on Miami a few decades later. Wade was to the Heat what Magic and Kobe were to the Lakers in the modern era.

When James made the calculated decision to join Wade in Miami, it was to build on the established championship pedigree from the Mavericks‘ upset in the 2006 NBA Finals. Wade earned James‘ and the NBA’s respect as the consummate professional, with excellence on both sides of the court, unselfish play, and smooth scoring moves.

Wade parlayed his mid-2000s work into a special run with James in the 2010s, with repeat rings in 2012 and 2013. His longevity as the centrepiece, like Marino’s, deserved to be inscribed in stone. Unlike Marino, Wade gave his sports town three reasons to celebrate with well-deserved parades, including a repeat for Riley.

“I would put him ahead of Dan Marino because (he) won championships, plural in two different eras for two different generations,” Kelly said. “I know it won’t be a popular opinion because football is king down here, but Wade probably deserves the first spot.”

Wade grew up idolising Michael Jordan in Chicago and left to play for the Bulls before rejoining James in Cleveland in the middle of his career. Wade’s return to Miami to finish his NBA career spoke volumes about where his heart truly lay.

Heat fans should be grateful for this at all times.

Putting aside his stats — including being the franchise’s all-time leading scorer — Wade’s intangibles were his most touching moments in Miami.

Wade By The Numbers

NBA Titles	3
NBA Finals MVP	1
All-NBA	8
All-Defensive team	3
NBA scoring title	1
All-Star Game selections	13
All-Star Game MVPs	1

GRIESE, BOB (Dolphins, 1967-80)

The Dolphins had a number of classic and modern candidates to join Marino in representing the team’s best, but when other offensive players and several defensive stars were considered. Griese was another well-known face to grace Miami’s ultimate sports sculpture.

Griese emerged from Purdue and quickly established himself, rocketing to stardom not long after the launch of his professional franchise. He was instrumental in the Dolphins‘ successful transition from the AFL to the NFL, with his on-field leadership signalling the start of the Shula era, much like Marino signalled the end of the coach’s tenure.

Griese, unlike Marino, made his presence known as a gritty gamer rather than a prolific passer. The Dolphins‘ dynastic success under Griese is undeniable, as they became synonymous with the Steelers and Raiders as AFC royalty in the 1970s.

With his cerebral command of the game, Griese was ahead of his time, and Shula trusted him to call his own plays. It was fitting that Griese won so much while wearing No. 12, paving the way for Marino to make No. 13 just as memorable in Dolphins history not long after.

Griese’s clutch play stood out more than his numbers in his run-heavy, defensive-minded era (though he was first-team All-Pro twice), and the Dolphins are still chasing his championship time with the team nearly 50 years later.

Griese’s voice has endured as a result of his long-term work with ABC and ESPN calling some of the most important college football games. He’s been a fixture in Miami since stepping away from the national spotlight in 2011. His legacy as a Dolphin and television analyst was passed down to his quarterbacking son, Brian, with whom he has a special bond.

“Most people under 40 know Bob Griese more as a broadcaster than a player,” Kelly says.

Looking back on Griese’s career, stat-crazed kids may be left wondering what he meant to Miami. The definitive answer can be found by watching his highlights and then asking those from the past and present about him.

Griese By The Numbers

Super Bowl wins	2
Super Bowl appearances	3
All-Pro First-Team	2
Pro Bowls	6
Times leading NFL in passing TD	1
Times leading NFL in completion percentage	1
Years broadcasting college and NFL games	35

ALONZO MOURNING (Heat, 1995-02, 2005-08)

Beyond Wade, the Heat have had the short but brilliant LeBron James and the long and steady Udonis Haslem. But when it comes to the man at the centre of it all, it’s Mourning over the city’s other competitive cagers.

‘Zo‘ did not begin his career in Miami. Charlotte selected him second overall in the 1992 NBA Draft out of Georgetown. He started well as a Hornet, but a blockbuster trade to the Heat before the 1996 draught was a stroke of luck. Mourning was cast alongside Riley as Riley’s updated version of Kareem. Mourning was the centre of attention for elite Eastern Conference teams with his scoring, rebounding, and shot-blocking, only to fall short of a championship early due to the Bulls‘ dynasty and the Knicks‘ nastiness.

Mourning faced the most adversity of his NBA career when he left Miami for New Jersey in 2003, a kidney disease that nearly forced him to retire for good. When his comeback attempt with the Nets failed and he was traded to the Raptors, he ultimately decided Miami was the best fit for him and his family. The Heat were there for him once more.

In Miami, Mourning was revitalised by backing up and supporting O’Neal. In three-plus overlap seasons with Shaq, he started 66 games when O’Neal wasn’t available and was a key rotational player in the Heat’s playoff runs. Mourning accepted the dirty work to complement Wade and was rewarded with his career’s lone championship, also the first in Heat history.

Mourning grinded and gave everything he had with his older, battered body, which was just as impressive as his early stat-sheet stuffing. He had Wade’s back in the 2006 NBA Finals, and he finished second only to Wade on Miami’s all-time scoring list.

Mourning’s Hall of Fame heart was most at home in Miami, much like Wade’s, despite different stops.

He received the ultimate honour shortly after retiring for good in 2009. Mourning’s No. 33 was the first jersey number retired in Heat history, ahead of Wade and several others. The franchise, city, state, and his Georgetown extended family were all in attendance. It’s no surprise that Mourning and Miami had a long-term relationship, as he followed Riley into a front-office position to keep him working for his beloved team.

“Mourning was a great player and presence,” Kelly says. “He does have a leadership role with the Heat to this day.”

Mourning By The Numbers

NBA Titles	1
NBA Defensive Player of the Year	2
All-Star Game appearances	7
Times leading NBA in blocks	2
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award	1
USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year	1