Former Kentucky Wildcat Gerald Fitch received a special birthday gift Friday with a contract offer from the Heat. The NBA team announced that they have signed the free agent guard who spent the last season playing overseas after finishing his career at UK in 2004. He celebrated his 23rd birthday today.

Fitch, a 6’3″, 188-pound guard, averaged 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.0 minutes over five contests while competing with the Washington Wizards in the Reebok Vegas Summer League. He led the team in three-point field goals made, three-point field goals attempted and total assists. He scored in double figures on three occasions while leading the team in steals and assists on one occasion. Fitch also spent the 2004-05 preseason with the Washington Wizards playing in seven games, averaging 3.1 points, 0.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 11.6 minutes. He went on to spend the majority of the 2004-05 season in Europe, having a stint with KK Cibona VIP Zagreb, playing in seven games, averaging 14.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists while also joining the Adriatic League, with the same team, playing in five games, averaging 16.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Fitch then joined Khimik-OPZ Yuzny of the Ukraine Superleague, playing in 19 games, averaging 21.0 points while shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from three-point range.

Fitch played four years for the University of Kentucky where he averaged 11.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He finished 22nd all-time at Kentucky in points (1,391), seventh in three-point percentage (.396) and fourth in three-pointers made (199). He became the 50th member of Kentucky’s 1,000-point club.