American Airlines Arena, known as the “Triple AAA,” is one of Miami’s most recognizable and iconic landmarks. The beautiful building stands on the shore of Biscayne Bay and hosts the Miami Heat’s basketball games, as well as performances throughout the year. The arena is one of Miami’s largest entertainment venues with regularly sold-out crowds during concerts. It even hosted the LeBron-led Heat for two championships.
News broke in September that American Airlines didn’t plan to renew its contract for the naming rights to the arena. The Herald announced the team was in talks with replacements, and BangBros — a pornographic film studio — unexpectedly offered $10 million for the naming rights. The offer has not been accepted so far. So we’ve listed the five most Miami names for the arena.
1. Carnival Cruise Arena
Carnival is arguably Miami’s most prominent and famous cruise line, and we’ve grown accustomed to seeing its ads basically everywhere in Miami. The headquarters are
located in Miami and the cruise ships sail out from the port, just behind the arena, to foreign destinations weekly. Micky Arison, who is the CEO of the Carnival Corporation and son of the founder, is the owner of the Miami Heat. They could even replace the iconic plane on top of the arena with a cruise ship.
2. Publix SuperCenter
If you’re gathering a list of Miami’s greatest contributions to human culture, you can’t ignore Publix supermarket. Its stores have become a symbol of pride for us. Virtually every individual in Miami lives at least two blocks from a neighborhood Publix. The firm has expanded to neighboring states, but Florida is its home. We could even adapt Publix’s famous slogan “Where shopping is a pleasure” to the Heat, for whom it would be “Where winning is a pleasure.”
3. Vicky Bakery Arena
This one is a no-brainer. Vicky Bakery is a cornerstone of Miami culture. The successful local business became a source of pride for Miami’s Hispanic residents. Imagine this: the Miami Heat are deep into May and June hosting the NBA Finals, and the crucial game seven is set for the Vicky Bakery Arena. The smell of croquetas and cafecito invades the opponent’s locker room at halftime. Heat dancers shoot pastelitos out of cannons into the audience. Ay, que lindo.
4. El Palacio de Los Heat
Inspired by the Detroit Piston’s Palace of Auburn Hills, we could rename the place “El Palacio.” It would become a testament to Miami’s rich Hispanic culture. This clever play-on-words could be sponsored by El Palacio de Los Jugos, an iconic Cuban restaurant that embodies our Latin culture. Opposing teams will tremble in fear at the thought of their next game against the Heat in The Palace. Madonna and Lady Gaga will finally cement their royal status when performing at “El Palacio”. Goodbye Orlando and Disney World.
5. Wade County Forum
Last but not least, long overdue and much deserved, the Wade County Forum would be the most fitting of titles. This crown jewel would commemorate the guy who has unofficially owned Miami-Dade County since 2003. The name would cement his legacy here. It would be a recognition to the man who embodies and embraces Miami culture and declare “this is his house” to a city in need of a hero. Dwyane Wade is the Batman of our Gotham city, the Superman of our Metropolis. He brought Miami three NBA championships during a severe drought of Miami sports success – I’m looking at you, Miami Dolphins and Marlins. He was the hero we never deserved and will never forget.
