Is losing a vice? Heat ditch neon unis for red

MIAMI — Yes, there seemingly is superstition in basketball. Because of that, Vice Nights were given the night off by the Miami Heat on Friday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

After losing their first six games in the throwback neon motif, the Heat, just minutes before Friday night’s tipoff against the New Orleans Pelicans, instead switched into their red uniforms, uniforms predominantly worn by the team on the road.

The Pelicans continued, as scheduled, in their white uniforms.

The move was made with the Heat in the midst of a six-game home losing streak.

The Heat had the Vice Nights black jerseys in their locker stalls during the media viewing period just an hour prior to Friday night’s game.

The team continued to play on the special Vice Nights court trimmed in pink and blue pastels, again opening with the team’s special Vice Nights introduction video.

The Heat are next scheduled to play in the Vice Nights uniform Sunday against the Utah Jazz in the third game of this four-game homestand.

The team continues to sell the Vice Nights merchandise, as well as other uniform styles.

Before the start of the homestand, Heat guard Rodney McGruder downplayed the impact of uniform style on performance.

“There’s nothing to that at all. I don’t believe in anything like that,” he said.

The team remains, at the moment, scheduled to wear the uniforms Sunday, Tuesday, Dec. 20, Dec. 22, Feb. 23, Feb. 25, Feb. 27 and April 7.