MIAMI (AP) -Whenever Eric Woolworth checks his messages, there's a request waiting. Doesn't matter if it's his home phone, his office, his cell, his e-mail, someone has always made the same inquiry.

``You got any tickets for me?''

Not long ago, the answer usually was, ``Yes.''

Back then - as recently as the 2003-04 season - the Miami Heat didn't even try to sell out their home building because they knew the supply of seats easily exceeded the demand of fans willing to pay for them. So thick black curtains cordoned off much of the arena's highest level, hiding thousands of empty chairs.

Now, the Heat are the hottest ticket in South Florida, thanks to Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade and anyone else who played a role in the team reaching the NBA finals for the first time. And when Woolworth returns those calls these days, his answers aren't received so warmly.

``I still do my best to get back to everybody,'' said Woolworth, the Heat's president of business operations, ``even if it's just to say, 'Sorry.'''

Every regular-season and playoff game this season at AmericanAirlines Arena was a sellout, including Sunday's Game 5 of the NBA finals between the Heat and the Dallas Mavericks. Over 53 games - 41 in the regular-season, 12 in the playoffs - the Heat drew about 1.1 million fans, a team record.

``Every year I've been here, this organization has gone to a whole new level,'' said forward Udonis Haslem, who is from Miami and in his third season with the Heat.

Not only are the seats filled by 20,000-plus every night, they're star-studded now, too.

Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova are regulars. So is Gloria Estefan. Singer Jimmy Buffett is a longtime Heat season-ticket holder. Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino and other past and current Miami Dolphins stars are often in attendance.

Beyonce, Donald Trump, Alex Rodriguez, you name it, if they're a star living in or coming through South Florida, they've probably been to a Heat game this season.

``When you think about who's here to watch us play,'' point guard Jason Williams said, ``it's crazy.''

And it's hard to believe how quickly the team's fortunes changed.

Case in point: Dec. 21, 2003.

On the final possession of that night's game in Miami, Wade's layup with 10 seconds remaining gave him a career-high of 33 points and sealed a Heat victory over the Golden State Warriors.

The celebration was, at best, tame.

A few thousand people - maybe a little more than half that night's announced crowd of 14,497 - remained to see the moment, most having already scurried into the night to beat traffic. And that was common that season, after the Heat got off to 0-7 and 5-15 starts before winding up with a 42-40 record.

``The fans were smart,'' said Heat coach Pat Riley, noting the team was in a rebuilding phase in those days. ``They didn't come watch for two years.''

Toward the end of that season, more and more fans started coming back. And the following summer, the Heat traded for O'Neal, sending three players to the Los Angeles Lakers for the game's dominant center and, perhaps, its most recognizable player.

Miami has a bit of a reputation as a front-running town - especially when the sport in question isn't football, the undisputed king in Florida.

Sure, when the Heat were going 25-57 as recently as the 2002-03 season, there wasn't much reason for fans to turn out in droves for NBA games.

``It's like any other city,'' Riley said. ``If you're not winning, the people are going to stay home. There's other things to do. L.A., New York, Miami, there's so much to do. And if you're winning, people want to be part of it. We have a base of great fans here that win, lose or draw, they're coming. When it gets to this level, everyone wants in the door. And we make them all pay now.''

Most celebrities - many of whom still occasionally came to Heat games during those lean years - call Riley and make the process very simple; they tell his assistant they'll pay whatever it takes, just get them in. There's still a few, though, who pull the 'don't you know who I am?' ploy that doesn't really work anymore.

``Yeah, I know who you are,'' Riley said, laughing. ``Where were you?''

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