MDC Athletics Staffer Earns NBA Championship Ring From The Heat

Miami Dade College  Assistant Director of Athletics Alysia Dyer has something that most NBA players will never have; a championship ring.

Dyer, who has worked part-time with the Miami Heat since 2007, received a 2012 NBA Championship ring after the team’s playoff run last year.

The ring that Dyer has is a smaller version of what the players and established employees have. Heat employees, who have worked with the team for many years have rings with diamonds embedded on the top or on the side.

Dyer started working at Miami Dade College as the Student Information Director in 2007. Two months later James Cox, the Athletic Director at the time, helped her get a part-time gig with the Heat in the Sports Media Relations department keeping stats.  

She started as a stats crew runner. Dyer was charged with getting in-game statistics to game announcers, coaches and the media during timeouts and after every quarter.  

“You have to have a certain amount of knowledge,” Dyer said. “A certain amount of maturity and composure.”  

Alysia now works with four people to take down stats during the games for the Heat. She wears a headset with the volume all the way up to tune out the crowd.

“It’s intense, you have to make sure you are on point, you are focused and you are into the game,” Dyer said. “There is no talking, you are paying attention and doing your work.”

After the game, she has to type post game reports for players, coaches, and she must be present for Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra’s post game interview.

Dyer attends all Heat home games, unless they conflict with her duties at MDC.

“It’s Miami Dade first, and the Heat second,” Dyer said.

Despite her grueling schedule, she agrees that the job has its perks.

Dyer worked one of the Finals games last year when the Heat played the Oklahoma City Thunder. She was even allowed to hold the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“It helps you put things into perspective. It’s not what you know, its who you know,” Dyer said. “As long as you do your job and you prove yourself, you will get opportunities for yourself, and the Heat is a huge opportunity for me.”