Eddie Johnson — who once played for the Phoenix Suns and currently serves as a color commentator for the team — took a jab at fans of the Miami Heat on social media.
The testy exchange was ignited by a post from Phoenix’s official page on X (formerly known as Twitter) this week after the NBA schedule for the upcoming 2024-25 regular season was made available to the public.
For each team on their schedule, the Suns dedicated a post to the opposing fan base, and for their post on Heat fans, they included a photo of an empty arena.
Miami’s official X account responded with a screenshot of the league’s attendance report from the 2023-24 regular season. The screenshot indicates that the Heat averaged the fourth-most fans per home game of any team in the league a season ago, while the Suns averaged just the 25th-most.
Johnson responded by implying that Heat fans frequently show up late while Suns fans are on time.
The Suns and Heat saw a similar amount of collective success in the 2023-24 campaign. Phoenix finished the regular season with 49 wins and the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, while Miami ended up with 46 wins and the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Both squads also didn’t stay alive in the 2024 NBA Playoffs for very long. The Heat were eliminated by the Boston Celtics — who captured their 18th title in franchise history in June — in five games in the opening round. As for the Suns, they fared even worse than the Heat did, as the team was swept by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.
But the Heat have accomplished more as a franchise from a historical standpoint. After all, Miami has won three titles as a franchise — in 2006, 2012, and 2013 — and the Suns have yet to win a title in franchise history, though the team did reach the NBA Finals earlier in the decade in 2021.
Johnson’s recent comments on social media regarding fans of the Heat may stir up some drama between the two fan bases. Fans of both teams should circle their calendars for when the squads face off against each other this coming season.