Question: The 2004–05 NBA season season was the 17th season for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association, it signed which free agent, a retired American basketball player whose Hall of Fame career for the Duke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the best in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history?

Context articles: Juwan Howard
2004–05 Washington Wizards season
2004–05 Miami Heat season
Christian Laettner
Duke Blue Devils football
2003–04 Miami Heat season
Rick Barry
Justise Winslow
2008–09 Duke Blue Devils women's basketball team
1999–2000 Miami Heat season

Juwan Antonio Howard (born February 7, 1973) is an American retired professional basketball player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
 Howard formerly played for the Heat from 2010 until 2013.
 A one-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA power forward, he began his NBA career as the fifth overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft, selected by the Washington Bullets.
 Before he was drafted, he starred as an All-American on the Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team.
 At Michigan he was part of the Fab Five recruiting class of 1991 that reached the finals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's Division I Basketball Championship in 1992 and 1993.
 Howard won his first NBA championship with Miami in the 2012 NBA Finals and his second NBA championship in the 2013 NBA Finals.
The 2004–05 NBA season was the Wizards 44th season in the National Basketball Association, and their 32nd season in the city of Washington, D.C..
 During the offseason, the Wizards acquired Antawn Jamison from the Dallas Mavericks.
 The Wizards got off to a decent start and played above .500 for the entire season.
 The Wizards posted a 20-win improvement over the previous season, finishing second in the Southeast Division with a 45–37 record, and made it back to the playoffs for the first time since 1997, back when they were known as the "Bullets".
 Gilbert Arenas averaged 25.5 points per game and was selected along with Jamison for the 2005 NBA All-Star Game.
 In the first round of the playoffs, the Wizards defeated the Chicago Bulls in six games after losing the first two games, but were swept in the semifinals by the Miami Heat in four straight games.
 Following the season, Larry Hughes signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 2004–05 NBA season season was the 17th season for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association.
 The Heat entered the season with high expectations following the acquisition of All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers, plus signing free agents Christian Laettner, three-point specialist Damon Jones, and Shandon Anderson.
 The team played solid basketball posting a 14-game winning streak between December and January winning 25 of their first 32 games, then winning twelve straight between February and March.
 At midseason, the team re-signed free agent All-Star center Alonzo Mourning, and re-acquired former Heat guard Steve Smith from the expansion Charlotte Bobcats.
 The Heat finished in first place in both their division and conference with a 59–23 record, which was the franchise's best since 1996–97.
Christian Donald Laettner ( , ; born August 17, 1969) is a retired American basketball player whose Hall of Fame career for the Duke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the best in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history.
 He was the star player on the back-to-back National Championship teams of 1991 and 1992.
 He is particularly famous for his game-winning shot against Kentucky in the 1992 regional final and for the hatred he received from opposing fans.
The Duke Blue Devils football team represents Duke University in the sport of American football.
 The Blue Devils compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
 The program has 17 conference championships (7 ACC championships and 10 Southern Conference titles), 53 All-Americans, 10 ACC Players of the Year (the most in the ACC), and have had three Pro Football Hall of Famers come through the program (second in the ACC to only Miami's four).
 The team is currently coached by David Cutcliffe and play their home games at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
The 2003–04 NBA season season was the 16th season for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association.
 This season saw the team draft future All-Star and 3-time NBA Champion Dwyane Wade with the fifth overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft, while acquiring forward Lamar Odom from the Los Angeles Clippers.
 Before the season began, head coach Pat Riley resigned, but he would later return midway in the 2005–06 season and help guide the Heat to their first ever NBA championship.
 Under new head coach Stan Van Gundy, the Heat stumbled out of the gate losing their first seven games.
 However, the team would play .500 basketball for the remainder of the season winning 14 of their final 17 games.
 Despite posting a mediocre 42–40 record, the Heat entered the playoffs as the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
 Wade had a stellar rookie season averaging 16.2 points per game, and was selected to the All-Rookie First Team.
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA).
 Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in history by the NBA in 1996, Barry is the only player to lead the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), ABA and NBA in scoring for an individual season.
 He was known for his unorthodox but effective underhand free throw shooting technique, and at the time of his retirement in 1980, his .900 free throw percentage ranked first in NBA history.
 In 1987, Barry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
 He is the father of former NBA players Brent Barry and Jon Barry and current professional player Canyon Barry.
Justise Jon Winslow (born March 26, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
 He played small forward for the 2015 NCAA champion Duke Blue Devils before being drafted by the Miami Heat.
The 2008–09 Duke Blue Devils women's basketball team represented Duke University in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I basketball season.
 The Blue Devils were coached by Joanne P. McCallie, (also known as Coach P) and the Blue Devils played their home games at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
 The Blue Devils are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
 The Blue Devils reached the 25-win mark for the 11th straight season, collected their 12th straight 10-win ACC season.
 McCallie guided Duke to a 14-0 record at home in Cameron Indoor Stadium marking only the second time in school history the Blue Devils have gone undefeated at home.
 Duke was also a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in school history and the third time out of the last four years.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 12th season for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association.
 During the offseason, the Heat signed free agent Otis Thorpe.
 The Heat played the first two months of the season at the Miami Arena, then moved into the American Airlines Arena in January.
 At midseason, the team signed free agent Bruce Bowen.
 Despite Tim Hardaway playing just 52 games due to knee injuries, the Heat finished first place in the Atlantic Division with a 52–30 record.
 Alonzo Mourning was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, and was selected for the 2000 NBA All-Star Game.
 In the first round of the playoffs, they swept the Detroit Pistons in three straight games en-route to advancing to the conference semifinals for the first time since 1997.