MIAMI, FL The Miami HEAT announced today that they have re-signed center Joel Anthony. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Anthony, who originally signed with the HEAT as a free agent on July 3, 2007, has appeared in 89 career games (29 starts). During his two-year NBA career, all with Miami, he has averaged 2.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.39 blocks and 17.4 minutes while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 62.1 percent from the foul line. In his 29 career starts, he has averaged 3.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.41 blocks in 19.8 minutes. He owns the franchise record for the most blocks off the HEAT bench during a single game after he blocked six shots off the bench at Indiana on Mar. 31, 2008. Anthony currently ranks 16th on the HEATs all-time blocked shots list with 124.
During the 2008-09 season, Anthony appeared in 65 games (28 starts) and averaged 2.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.43 blocks and 16.1 minutes while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 65.2 percent from the foul line. He finished second on the team in total blocks (93) and blocks per game (1.43) and tied for fourth in offensive rebounds (89). He led the team in blocks 26 times and blocked a shot in a career-tying seven consecutive games from Dec. 12 thru Dec. 26, 2008. He scored a career-high 12 points while grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds at Memphis on Dec. 14. Additionally, he appeared in six postseason games (two starts) totaling 10 points, 19 rebounds and seven blocks while shooting 4-of-5 from the field and a perfect 2-of-2 from the foul line.