South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Mask requirement removed at FTX Arena
MIAMI — After stating the opposite a day earlier, the Miami Heat issued a release Saturday that said mask wearing no longer is mandatory for the team’s home games at FTX Arena.
Unlike other NBA arenas that have removed mask requirements but maintained COVID vaccination requirements, such as the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the Heat do not have such a requirement.
Per the team’s release:
“Effective immediately, per the latest CDC and Miami-Dade County recommendations, mask wearing will now be strongly recommended throughout FTX Arena for all guests other than in the red zone where it will still be mandated for all Miami Heat home games. Masking requirements for non-HEAT events will be subject to promoter preference.”
While mask requirements remain in place for those seated closest to the court, the NBA has told teams that starting Tuesday such mask requirements no longer will be required for team Tier 1 employees who have courtside access.
Free pass
Jimmy Butler said that the $25,000 fine issued by the NBA for his failing to meet media requirements during All-Star Weekend has been picked up by teammate P.J. Tucker.
“Luckily I got a good teammate like Tuck, who said he’s going to cover my fine,” Butler said. “So I’m not tripping.”
Butler offered that comment after the Heat’s Friday night victory over the Knicks, who are coached by Butler’s former Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau.
“Thibs don’t talk to me no more. He don’t,” Butler said.
Asked why, Butler said, “I don’t know. He mad at me because we’ve been beating him all the time.”
The victory at Madison Square Garden was punctuated by several chants of “Let’s Go Heat!”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he still finds that bizarre considering the teams’ bitter playoff rivalry in the late ‘90s, after current Heat president Pat Riley left the Knicks to coach the Heat.
“Yeah, I just think that’s all strange,” Spoelstra said. “That’s weird, to me. You know who my boss is. And that was my introduction to this league, was those Heat-Knicks battles. And everything that came with that, particularly in the Garden.
“But, hey, we’ve been dealing with that for years with Knicks fans in our place. So it’s probably apropos that we turn the tables now.”
Hearing whistles
Spoelstra attempted to mask with sarcasm the constant whistles being heard by starting guard Duncan Robinson, who went scoreless amid foul trouble Friday in New York.
“I think whenever in doubt, call it on Duncan Robinson and then we should just throw him out of the game,” Spoelstra said with a tone of irritated bemusement. “Like ... he should get two technicals, throw him out.”
At one point Friday, when Spoelstra successfully challenged an incorrect foul call on Butler, the foul instead was changed to Robinson.
“He’s an easy target,” Spoelstra said of Robinson. “That one was funny to me. That one was funny. But whatever. They should have given him two fouls on that play.
“That should have been a flagrant foul and tossed out and suspended for 20 games.”
Butler said he could appreciate the consternation over the foul called on him switched to Robinson.
“Duncan out there hacking,” Butler said with a smile “That’s Duncan’s fault. No, Spo finally used a challenge on me. I really appreciate it. I appreciate Duncan taking that foul for me.
“If I was Dunc, I would have got a tech in that particular instance. Good thing Dunc is calm and collected.”
Milestone moment
San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich arrived in Miami for Saturday night’s game at FTX Arena one victory shy of tying Don Nelson for most all-time regular-season coaching victories, a moment not lost on Spoelstra, who worked with Popovich during Olympic training in July.
“I have incredible respect for Pop,” Spoelstra said. “I’ve said all the different things, you could talk about forever his Hall of Fame career. But just as a human being, I got to witness that firsthand this summer with the USA program. He just has an incredible way of making everybody in the room feel like they’re the most important person in the room. That’s a gift. That really is. His great genius is his human personality and management.
“I feel unique because I’ve been part of the Riley Mafia family, but I was able to dip my toe in the Popovich Mafia family.”