Birdman Is Back: Chris Andersen Re-Signs With the Miami Heat

When the Heat signed Chris "Birdman" Andersen in January, Riptide chuckled and called the move a "long shot to fix the Miami Heat's rebounding woes but... a lead-pipe lock to fix the lack of hilarious people on the Heat." We Dewey-defeats-Truman'd that one. Birdman re-energized the entire squad, ripped down...

By Tim Elfrink

July 10, 2013

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When the Heat signed Chris "Birdman" Andersen in January, Riptide chuckled and called the move a "long shot to fix the Miami Heat's rebounding woes but... a lead-pipe lock to fix the lack of hilarious people on the Heat." We Dewey-defeats-Truman'd that one.

Birdman re-energized the entire squad, ripped down boards, scored 18 straight baskets at one point during the Pacers playoff series, and delightfully shoved lemon-faced crybaby Tyler Hansbrough to the ground. Now the Birdman is back, signing a one-year deal with the Heat that was announced last night.

The Heat will pay Birdman $1.7 million next year, less than at least one other offer on the table but giving him a chance to snag another ring with the Big Three. (He's also still getting more than $4 million in salary from the Denver Nuggets.)

The deal marks an amazing turnaround for the tattooed rebounder, who, when asked what he was up to when the Heat signed him in January, told an NBA reporter: "I wasn't watching basketball, bro. I was out in the country. I was hunting hogs, messing around, hanging out with the homeboys."

God love him. To celebrate his return, here's a highlight reel of his dominating series against Indiana:

And, of course, his fight with Hansbrough:

Tim Elfrink is a former investigative reporter and managing editor for Miami New Times. He has won the George Polk Award and was a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting.

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