The Miami Heat have released a new statement on their new alternate court for 2023-24. The Heat have been known to be a hard-nosed, tough team for decades, but this message on the court has been deemed cringe by many NBA fans.
The lane of the Heat’s new culture court. pic.twitter.com/qVrG5PAqPV
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) November 5, 2023
The Heat's new “culture court” reads a like message that you could often find a youth league coach preaching to their team. Fans on twitter have been poking fun at the Heat for the cringe worthy messages. Is this really what Heat Culture is all about?
“Toughest, meanest, nastiest team in the nba” 🤡 pic.twitter.com/b2ptJ2AKK9
— Ryan (@Iamjesus1321) November 5, 2023
I cringed
— alex (@highlightheaven) November 5, 2023
We are going to be the biggest laughing stock in the NBA bro
— NRG Azfura (@Azfura) November 5, 2023
“Toughest. Meanest. Nastiest.” pic.twitter.com/RiTvXgk5k5
— 𝟖𝟎𝐊𝐅𝐓 ☘️ (@Drake2Bake) November 5, 2023
Absolutely don’t like it. They’re trying to commercialize Heat Culture smh
— Joti Virk (@regular__jo) November 5, 2023
This particular Miami team may embody all of these “cringe-worthy” characteristics, but one could imagine that every NBA team holds these values. They're all professionals. Believing your team is the hardest working and toughest in the league should be a given.
Fans are surely making fun of this message not only because it's cringe, but because the Heat were the team to design it. Miami has been one of the league's best teams over the past few seasons, but of course, has failed to win the NBA Finals since the LeBron James era. The Heat have made Finals two times in the past four years, which unfortunately meant that being the “toughest, meanest, nastiest team in the NBA” might have failed them.
To give Miami some credit, Heat Culture has been incredibly consistent since Pat Riley took the helm as team president. Several NBA championships and playoff berths means a team really is “unselfish” and maybe even the “hardest-working”. Now however is a bit different. The Heat will have their work cut out for them if they want to make it out of a stacked Eastern Conference.
Who knows? Maybe some of those messages on the court will help motivate Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and company amid a 2-4 start to 2023-24.