The 2013–2014 season was the Heat's fourth and final season playing with the "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, and ended with a 54–28 record, despite a 43–14 record early in March.
Although he was a free agent during the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons, and despite rumors of a possible return to the league to play for the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, or Boston Celtics, Allen officially announced his retirement on November 1, 2016, and was one of two remaining active players from the 1996 draft, the other being Kobe Bryant, whom announced his retirement the season prior.
The Heat swept the Charlotte Bobcats in the first round and defeated the Brooklyn Nets in five games in the conference semifinals.
In a rematch of the previous year's Eastern Conference finals, the Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers in six games (ending the Pacers' season for the third year in a row) to become the first team to win four consecutive Eastern Conference championships since the Boston Celtics did so in the 1984–1987 seasons.
Following the season, James left the Heat in free agency to rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom he previously played for from 2003 to 2010.