The Miami Heat will sport their hotly-anticipated “Vice Versa” jerseys tomorrow when the team returns home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The fifth and final edition was announced in December without a debut date. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 4 at American Airlines Arena.
The organization has never been shy about holding back excitement for the neon-glow jerseys, so it’s no surprise they once again busted out the big guns on social media. The Heat teased the debut by enlisting Rick Ross to narrate a 90-second clip featuring star players like Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Andre Iguodala, Avery Bradley, Udonis Haslem all donning the flashy threads as The Weeknd’s hit banger “Blinding Lights” plays.
“I know for gifts for my family, it’s always the Vice stuff,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters, via South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “They can’t get enough of it. It’s cool going around town and seeing the different variations of Vice gear out there.”
Spoelstra called this year’s design the “best version” of the four Vice jerseys. The Heat will wear the sleek-looking uniforms 11 times, according to LockerVision, and hopefully they can help jolt a team that has staggered to a 2-3 start.
It’s the perfect Weeknd in Miami for a little VICE
Check out our #ViceVersa player intro video ahead of Monday’s debut game
🗣 @RickRoss t.co/FNBVQSkOkM
Getting Jimmy Butler Back, Work in Progress
Jimmy Butler’s return to the Heat lineup didn’t exactly set too many people at ease. The heart and soul of Miami struggled mightily on that bum ankle, shooting 0-for-6 from the floor while finishing with just two points in 27 minutes.
The team isn’t predicated solely on Butler’s success — a point bemoaned the other day by Spoelstra’s pick-and-roll comment — but the Heat understand how much his presence impacts the squad.
“He’s a big part of this team,” Heat point guard Goran Dragic said. “He’s our leader. We follow him. It takes time to get back into rhythm. I know that he’s going to bounce back. When he’s playing well, everybody follows.”
Erik Spoelstra said the Heat aren’t using Jimmy Butler’s injury as an excuse for their uneven start to the season:
“We’re better than what we’ve shown and our guys know that we’re better than this.”
First and foremost, the Heat need to get back to basics and continue to space the floor. That, and clean up the turnovers. They rank dead-last in the NBA in turnovers (19.8%), giving up the rock on nearly 1/5 of their possessions.
“We have enough familiarity, we know what our system is, we know what we have to do to be successful,” Spoelstra said after Miami’s 93-83 loss to Dallas. “We know what our identity is, and we didn’t get to it consistently enough.”
Avery Bradley Misses Heat Practice
Miami was down one player at Sunday’s practice after guard Avery Bradley missed due to health and safety protocols. It’s unclear whether he tested positive for COVID-19 but he missed the session with a “stomach illness,” according to the team. His status for tomorrow night’s game against Oklahoma City is up in the air.
Bradley is in his first year with the Heat after winning a championship a few months ago with the Los Angeles Lakers. If the lock-down defender can’t go, Kendrick Nunn would likely start in his absence. The Heat have trotted out five different starting lineups through five games this season.
Heat 5:30 p.m. injury report for tomorrow’s game vs. Thunder:
Avery Bradley, who was not at practice today because of the NBA’s health and safety protocols, is listed as questionable with a stomach illness.
Gabe Vincent (right knee soreness) is probable.
Bradley is in his first year with the Heat after winning a championship a few months ago with the Los Angeles Lakers. If the lock-down defender can’t go, Kendrick Nunn would likely start in his absence. The Heat have trotted out five different starting lineups through five games this season.
“Avery is a guy that can play in any system. As long as it’s a contending team, he fits,” Spoelstra said of Bradley. “He’s a really good basketball player, he’s a winner and a two-way player.”
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Heat Reveal New Neon ‘ViceVersa’ City Edition Jerseys