Miami Heat center Dewayne Dedmon is SUSPENDED by the team for a game after arguing with his coach and throwing a massage gun onto the court…
The Miami Heat have suspended center Dewayne Dedmond for a game without pay for misconduct.
The move came one night after Dedmon had an outburst after being substituted out of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He exchanged words with coaches on the sidelines, then angrily smashed a massage gun and threw it onto the pitch during play.
That knocked him out of the game, further draining an already understaffed Miami roster, and the Heat used just seven players in the final 33 minutes to make for a 112-111 win.
Miami Heat center Dewayne Dedmon (21) feuds with head coach Erik Spoelstra before charging off the field in the first half of Monday’s win over visiting Thunder
He threw a massage gun that landed on the pitch and has now been suspended for one game
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after that game that Dedmon’s actions as he left the floor were “unacceptable”. Dedmon will miss Thursday’s Miami home game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The coach also quipped, “It’s a normal Tuesday night with the Miami Heat,” in a pre-half interview with TNT, and poked fun at his team’s reputation for fighting spirit. “We’re in a one-point game and we’ve had some skirmishes on the bench.”
Afterwards, Spoelstra blamed the culture of heat for the incident.
“We’re all a bunch of gnarly personalities,” Spoelstra said. ‘This part [throwing the massager] was unhappy. Anything before that is the Miami Heat.”
Spoelstra (right) then blamed the Heat culture for the incident with Dedmon (left).
The Heat said they issued the suspension “in consultation with the NBA.” The league office reviewed Dedmon’s ejection and the actions that caused it, as is usual when a player is ejected.
The suspension will cost Dedmon approximately $32,414. He’s making $4.7 million this season and has a non-guaranteed contract for next season.
Miami expects starting center Bam Adebayo to be back for Thursday’s game against Milwaukee. Adebayo was one of seven players, including four potential starters, to miss Tuesday’s game with injuries.
Point guard Kyle Lowry, forward Caleb Martin and shooting guard Tyler Herro — the other usual starters who were out Tuesday — will be sidelined Thursday, the Heat said.
Dedmon has played 29 games for Miami this season, all off the bench, averaging 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds. He would be eligible to return on Saturday when the Heat host the Bucks for the second straight season.