NBA throwback – Miami Heat’s Dewayne Dedmon ejected for massage gun incident

The atmosphere in the FTX Arena took a dramatic turn when Miami Heat’s Dewayne Dedmon was ejected after an outburst led him to throw a massage gun onto the court during a live game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 22. This startling incident on Wednesday threw both the team and the audience into disarray.

Dedmon's expulsion followed what appeared to be a vehement argument with Heat staff, including an exchange with coach Erik Spoelstra. His ejection added to the Heat's woes as they were already contending with a depleted nine-man roster due to injuries.

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Dewayne Dedmon ejected for massage gun incident

The game's flow was disrupted when Dedmon, after being substituted early in the second quarter, engaged in a contentious dialogue with the coaching staff.

ESPN’s Stephanie Ready recounted:

"I was watching during that last stoppage of play during that timeout, and Dedmon was having a verbal argument with some of the staff, including Caron Butler. Udonis Haslem was trying to step in and calm things down"

Despite Haslem's attempts to mediate, Dedmon's irritation reached a peak, resulting in the massage gun's flight onto the court.

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Spoelstra's reaction to the ejection

In the post-game debrief, Coach Spoelstra provided a measured response to the upheaval.

He said (Via ESPN):

"It’s a regular Tuesday night (EST) for the Miami Heat. We’re in a one-point game and we have some skirmishes on the bench."

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The Team's Struggle and Dedmon's Future

Dedmon's ejection further strained the team's resources, reducing them to an eight-player rotation. The act sparked criticism from various NBA commentators, including Stan Van Gundy, who said:

"What possessed him to do that? You can’t do anything to get ejected from the game when you’re already as shorthanded as the Heat are. That’s inexcusable."

Questions about Dedmon's tenure with the Heat have been circulating, with some analysts suggesting this may mark the end of his journey with the team.

Wes Goldberg, a Miami reporter, noted Dewayne Dedmon's lack of defensive urgency right before his removal, which may have been a factor in the subsequent altercation.