Miami sports fans are often criticized for their reputation nationwide, and Heat fans found themselves under scrutiny once again when ESPN’s Bobby Marks called them out for cheering Jimmy Butler during his return to Miami for the game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. Butler had a remarkable tenure in Miami, leading the Heat to two surprising NBA Finals appearances with his clutch postseason performances. However, after a tumultuous season filled with multiple run-ins with management and suspensions, he orchestrated a trade to the Warriors, resulting in contrasting trajectories for both franchises—Golden State looking like a contender again while Miami sank to the #10 seed in the East.
For one night, however, those fortunes flipped as the Heat convincingly defeated the Warriors 112-86 in Butler’s emotional return to Miami. Despite the victory, it was the reception Butler received from Heat fans that drew Bobby Marks’ ire on Wednesday’s episode of Get Up.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks calls out Heat fans who cheered Jimmy Butler in his return to Miami.
“I was embarrassed watching that and looking at what the Heat fans did… he quit on them in the middle of the year.” pic.twitter.com/e6WNQ1xJuq
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 26, 2025
Marks expressed his discomfort with the situation, stating, “I want to be careful how I say this because I do have to fly home to Florida today. I don’t want them not allowing me in the state. I was embarrassed last night watching what the Heat fans did. To give a man who quit on you a standing ovation, even if it was just a fraction of the crowd, deeply troubled me. Yes, he took you to two NBA Finals, but he quit on the team midway through the season when he didn’t get paid.”
He further elaborated, “I would have done the video tribute from the Heat organization, but it felt like fair-weather fandom to applaud a player who abandoned them for a contender after securing his $111 million deal. Before this game, the Heat had become a vanilla team with no identity.” The critique echoed a sentiment expressed by ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins during last year’s play-in tournament, highlighting the numerous empty seats when the Heat faced the Bulls. Michael Wilbon took it a step further, questioning the quality of the fanbase and branding them as frontrunners. Ultimately, cheering for a player who left under such contentious circumstances may not help alter Miami’s reputation as a fanbase.
