Former Phoenix Suns player Eddie Johnson poked fun at Miami Heat supporters on social media. Eddie Johnson is currently the team’s color commentator.
A tweet from Phoenix’s official page on X, formerly known as Twitter, sparked the heated argument this week following the public release of the NBA schedule for the upcoming 2024–25 regular season.
The Suns posted a tribute to the fan base of each club they played, and they featured an image of an empty arena in their post on Heat fans.
Interesting. Check in when you climb into that 24th spot, @Suns 😉 https://t.co/7nKV3L9GaO pic.twitter.com/kXH7INa2zn
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) August 15, 2024
A screenshot of the league’s attendance report from the 2023–24 regular season was posted by Miami’s official X account in response. According to the screenshot, the Suns only had the 25th-most fans per home game during the previous season, while the Heat had the fourth-highest average of any team in the league.
In response, Johnson hinted that while Suns supporters are usually on time, Heat supporters usually arrive late.
Combined, the Suns and Heat had a comparable level of success in the 2023–24 season. After the regular season, Phoenix had 49 wins and was ranked sixth in the Western Conference, while Miami had 46 wins and was ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Additionally, neither team survived the 2024 NBA Playoffs for very long. The Boston Celtics, who won their 18th championship in team history in June, defeated the Heat in five games during the first round. The Suns’ fate was much worse than that of the Heat; in the opening round, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves swept the squad.
But historically speaking, the Heat have accomplished more as a team. As a team, Miami has won three championships: in 2006, 2012, and 2013; in contrast, the Suns have never won a championship, despite making it to the NBA Finals in 2021 earlier in the decade.
Recent remarks made by Johnson on social media about Heat supporters could cause friction between the two fan bases. When the clubs play each other this upcoming season, supporters of both teams should mark their calendars.
A Miami Heat scout analyzes Bam Adebayo’s potential role.
Erik Spoelstra, the coach of the Miami Heat, must make the difficult choice of concentrating his offensive efforts on All-Star Bam Adebayo or seasoned player Jimmy Butler.
Adebayo is the more secure choice due to his long-term stability, as Butler is about to approach the last year of his deal. The problem is that with Butler in charge of the offense, the Heat have already made several trips to the NBA Finals.
Miami Heat chatted with an NBA scout on SI’s
