Some fans cheered during introductions, but many responded with jeers. And every time he touched the ball throughout the game, boos echoed from all corners of the arena.
In the end, the return of a former star to Miami couldn’t have gone better for the Heat.
The team paid tribute to his 5½ seasons in Miami with a pregame video on Tuesday night, shown in the arena as part of the Golden State Warriors’ starting lineup introduction. That, however, was one of the few highlights for his new team, as he finished with 11 points in a 112-86 loss.
“I have a lot of love for this city and the fanbase,” he said afterward. “The video was nice. I wouldn’t say it was emotional, though.”
He appeared to watch the 40-second tribute video as he had planned, but noted that it didn’t really matter whether the Heat showed one or not. The team’s public-address announcer even introduced him with the same energy as when he played for Miami, and he acknowledged the crowd with a wave.
Still, the night felt different. Arriving at the arena, he admitted it took him a moment to figure out where to go.
“I was confused,” he said. “Haven’t been on this side in a minute.”
He insists there’s no lingering resentment between him and the Heat, despite a messy exit that saw him suspended three times before being traded to Golden State.
The tribute video highlighted some of his best moments in a Heat uniform, including the iconic image of him slumped over a courtside barrier in exhaustion during the NBA bubble in 2020.
“The energy in the building was great,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “If you’re a competitor, you love this kind of environment. We didn’t need any extra motivation.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr wasn’t so sure about that.
“I think the biggest thing about his return was that the Heat were ready, and Spo had them ready,” Kerr said.
It was an important game for Miami, which is trying to climb the standings after a recent 10-game losing streak. The Heat delivered one of their most dominant performances of the season, never trailing, limiting Golden State to 40% shooting, and hitting a staggering 68% of their three-point attempts.
“Was this just another game? Yeah, I think so,” said Heat guard Tyler Herro. “Given the circumstances and who was coming in, we were a little more ready. But for me, it was just a regular game.”
The fallout from his time in Miami stemmed from frustration over not receiving a contract extension and disagreements about his role in the final weeks before the trade. Meanwhile, the Heat were reportedly unhappy with how often he missed games—about 25% of them during his tenure—and how vocal he became about his displeasure.
He eventually got his extension—two years, $111 million—from the Warriors, who have gone 16-4 in his first 20 games. Two of those losses, including Tuesday’s blowout, came without Stephen Curry in the lineup.
“We definitely need 30 back,” he said, referring to Curry by his jersey number. “We want him to be right. But even without him, we’ve got to put up a better effort than we have the last two games.”
Fans haven’t held back on social media, expressing frustration over how things ended in Miami. He acknowledges the breakup was messy but doesn’t believe he deserves all the blame.
“I wonder if they look at the Heat the same way,” he said. “It’s not like I was the only one involved. It’s got to be 50-50, maybe 51-49—49 on them, 51 on me. But there’s no way this was all on me.”
Before being traded, he served a total of 14 games under suspension. Despite the controversy, Miami has a tradition of recognizing players who made an impact, and his contributions were significant—multiple All-Star appearances and leading the team to three Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals.
Still, boos followed him throughout the game. While there were some cheers when he scored Golden State’s first basket, little else went his way. After the final buzzer, he exchanged greetings with a few friends courtside before heading to the locker room.
The Warriors have an off day in Miami on Wednesday, giving him time to spend with his children—who still live in South Florida—before the team departs for New Orleans on Thursday.
“This one’s over with,” he said. “Put it behind us, go eat some food, and enjoy the sunshine tomorrow.”
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