Miami Heat Blog – Page 90 – NBA Blog

Marketing frenzy for Miami Heat in China

In between games, practices and league-related appearances, players such as James, Battier and Dwyane Wade will find time to help market everything from shoes to soda to watches. James has several news conferences planned and Wade is expected to introduce his new shoe Wednesday in Beijing. Wade’s endorsement contract with Jordan Brand ended in September, but he quickly found a replacement in Li-Ning Company Limited, a Chinese-based company.

“As an organization, as players individually, once we get over there it will be a great opportunity to continue to grow the game,” said Wade, who has been hesitant to talk about his new shoe deal.

The NBA has always been a “players’ league,” but in China, where the biggest names are treated like movie stars, that expression is taken to an extreme. In many cases, basketball fans in China are more concerned about a player’s private and social life than their exploits on the court.

Arison says he expects fans to be “camped out” outside the Heat’s hotels in Beijing and Shanghai throughout the week. The star power of the Heat’s players has already helped the team land sponsorships with two Chinese-based company’s, Tsingtao Brewing Company and Peak Sports Goods, and Arison hopes to foster new business relationships this week.

— Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald

Dwyane Wade works out, hopes to play Thursday

Dwyane Wade hopes to make his preseason debut Thursday when the Heat plays the Los Angeles Clippers at Beijing’s MasterCard Center.

Wade practiced with the team Tuesday in Beijing and said his knee has responded well to a gradual return from offseason knee surgery. The Heat will practice Wednesday before a final decision is made on whether or not Wade is ready to return.

On Tuesday, all signs pointed to him being medically cleared.

Wade bounced around with his teammates after practice, participating in a player-organized shooting contest geared towards building team chemistry. During practice, he ran with the team during offensive drills.

— Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald

Chris Bosh accepting of Heat center role

Chris Bosh is still listed on the official Miami Heat roster as simply a forward. Coach Erik Spoelstra still treads lightly when discussing Bosh’s position.

But it’s OK. Bosh doesn’t need to be treated delicately. He admits he’s a center.

“I made my peace with it,’’ Bosh said.

Bosh has embraced it enough that he recently told FOX Sports Florida he wants to be listed on the NBA All-Star ballot at center. He now regards power forward as his old position.

There was a time when the 6-foot-11 Bosh wanted nothing to do with being known as a center. But then came last season.

— Reported by Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida

Heat arrive in China for pair of preseason games with Clippers

LeBron James is visiting China for the ninth time, which makes him one of the resident Miami Heat experts about the world’s most populous nation.

Specifically, the food choices there.

“If anyone comes back with any body fat from this trip, then I don’t know what they were doing on their free time,” said James, the NBA’s MVP.

So maybe it’s fortunate that the coming week won’t exactly include a ton of free time for the Heat, who arrived in Beijing on Monday night for a weeklong trip. The reigning league champions play the Los Angeles Clippers twice during the NBA China Games, starting in Beijing on Thursday and then again Sunday in Shanghai.

“Should be fun,” James said. “It’s a very long trip to be bonding together, but we’re going to use it and not waste an opportunity.”

The itinerary is hectic, with VIP receptions, a trip to the Great Wall of China and other excursions planned. The Heat are trying to ensure that players and personnel have time to experience some elements of Chinese culture on their own.

— Reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press

Miami Heat players react to new flopping rule

Shane Battier smiles and laughs when he talks. It’s one of the many personality traits that would one day make him a good politician.

Here’s another. Battier will look at you with a straight face and tell you he’s not one of the NBA’s serial floppers.

“Listen, I don’t flop like a lot of these guys,” Battier said. “I know a lot of people say I flop, but I’m too old for that.”

Then, after a few minutes of bantering, Battier will tell you he’s “wholeheartedly against” the NBA’s new “anti-flopping” rule.

“Reputation may play a big role in it,” Battier said.

And that’s exactly what Indiana coach Frank Vogel is hoping will happen this season when the NBA begins administering its new “anti-flopping” rule. The league announced this week that it will begin the tricky work of reviewing flops and dives around the NBA and slapping repeat offenders with fines.

— Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald

Dwyane Wade cited by NBA video as flopping violator

The NBA Friday offered video clarification on the parameters of its impending crackdown on “flopping,” citing Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade among the players who would have been penalized had the new policy been in place last season…

The play in question with Wade did not cite the Heat All-Star guard by name, nor did any of the sequences in the video cite players by name.

Instead, on a play when Wade released a shot and then attempted to draw a shooting foul on Boston Celtics forward Mickael Pietrus during last season’s Eastern Conference finals at AmericanAirlines Arena, the narrator says:

“After releasing the jump shot, the shooter, No. 3 in the white uniform, extends his right leg, attempting to draw a defensive foul call. While there is marginal contact on the play, the flail and spin to the floor by the offensive player is an over-embellishment and it is inconsistent with marginal contact. This is a flop that will be penalized.” …

Among those other than Wade cited in the video for “flopping” are San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker, Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith, Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari, Clippers center Ryan Hollins and Brooklyn Nets forward Reggie Evans.

— Reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Heat exercise option on guard Norris Cole

The Miami Heat announced today that they have exercised the third-year Rookie Scale Option on guard Norris Cole.

Cole appeared in 65 games (two starts) with the HEAT last season and averaged 6.8 points, 2.0 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 19.4 minutes. Among rookie league leaders, he finished 17th in scoring average, tied for 11th in assists per game and eighth in free throw percentage (.776). He appeared in 19 postseason games during Miami’s championship run and averaged 1.8 points in 8.9 minutes of action.

Cole was originally drafted by Minnesota in the first round (28th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft before his draft rights were acquired by the HEAT in a draft night trade.

Chris Bosh no longer trying to bulk up

Bosh tried to bulk up. Gave it is all, truly. But you can’t turn an apple into an orange, you can’t change a thoroughbred into an elephant and you can’t morph Chris Bosh into Alonzo Mourning.

“It’s been like that for three years,” Bosh said on Saturday about the long-term plan to bulk him up and tweak his game. “After about three years I said forget it and just be myself. I’m never going to be big and just bulky like that.

“I’m strong but it’s a wiry strong and it’s two totally different things.”

The muscles are there, but, as Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said on media day, “He’s long; he’s strong.”

And, most importantly, fast.

— Reported by Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald

Kevin Garnett no longer speaking to Ray Allen

Ray Allen still considers Kevin Garnett a friend even if their communication has apparently been cut off.

On Friday, Garnett said he is no longer speaking to longtime Boston Celtics teammate Allen after he signed with the rival Miami Heat over the summer.

Speaking Saturday after his first official practice with the Heat, Allen said he was disappointed at Garnett’s sentiment.

“That’s a shame,” Allen said. “I’m a good person to talk to on the phone. … I’ve been in weird trade situations the last few years. You always felt you had one foot in and one foot out so I can’t worry about it.”

— Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

LeBron says Heat can get a lot better

With 12 players back from last season’s championship roster — foremost among them himself, after a season where he won the NBA’s MVP award, the NBA Finals MVP, his first league title and then an Olympic gold medal over the summer for good measure — the Heat clearly has tons of talent. Adding Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to the mix figures to make Miami that much better.

Naturally, James isn’t complaining.

“It’s scary to see, to look in our locker room today and say that we can be better than we were this past season,” James said. “Are we better right now than we were just a couple months ago? Of course not.

“But we have the potential to be better. We have the potential to be a lot better. That is scary.”

— Reported by the Detroit Free Press