Miami Heat

Ex-NBA superstar Dwyane Wade is paying his respects to the victims of the devastating Surfside condo building collapse on Thursday ... getting emotional and meeting with those participating in search and recovery efforts.

The Miami Heat legend visited the memorial fence set up to honor the 60 victims of the collapse ... leaving a touching message of support for those grieving.

"Sending prayer, love, strength and healing ..." Wade etched on the memorial ... adding his autograph and "Miami Heat" underneath.

The future Hall of Famer -- who's beloved in South Florida -- was moved by the visit ... putting his hand to his face as he's overcome with emotion.

Wade also gave an inspiring speech to the South Florida Urban Search and Rescue team on Thursday ... thanking them for their service and stepping up to help after the incident.

Of course, there have been several Miami pro athletes showing support following the tragedy -- from Heat guard Tyler Herro to Dolphins players Jaylen Waddle and Jerome Baker and more joining the effort to help those affected over the past few weeks.

Heat star Tyler Herro is rushing in to give his fellow Miamians a big assist ... showing up at the scene of the tragic South Florida condo collapse Thursday to offer a helping hand.

The 21-year-old NBA player and his assistant coach, Chris Quinn, were spotted on the scene just hours after the a 12-story oceanside building partially collapsed ... quickly offloading water bottles to those in need.

As we previously reported, a massive search and rescue effort is underway as countless people are missing due to the unexpected and shocking collapse of the building.

One person has died ... and there's a fear that number could grow as the rescue mission unfolds.

The Heat have expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy ... saying in a statement Thursday the team is "devastated."

"We were devastated to hear of the catastrophic Champlain Towers building collapse in Surfside," the team said.

"Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We are thankful for the first responders who are working around the clock in rescue efforts."

Authorities are still trying to piece together why the building collapsed ... explaining it's all very bizarre considering the place was built in 1981.

Pat Riley opened his mouth ... and now he's gotta open up his wallet.

The Heat prez has been hit with a BIG fine for comments made about a potential reunion with LeBron James in Miami ... with the NBA determining he broke the league's anti-tampering rule.

Riley -- who orchestrated the Heat's Big 3 of LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh that won 2 titles in 4 years -- recently opened up about James in an interview with Dan Le Batard ... saying he'd welcome the King back to South Beach with open arms.

"I would leave the key under the doormat if he would call me and let me know that he's coming," Riley said Friday. "I would do that, but I doubt very much that key -- that key is rusted now."

He added ... "LeBron, look, he's one of the greatest of all time and for 4 years down here, if we want to go back and remember what those 4 years were like, it was 4 years in the Finals, 4 years of excitement, 2 world championships."

"It was the best time for the Heat. So, I wish him nothing but the best, and if he ever wanted to come back, I'll put a new shiny key under the mat."

Of course, LeBron is signed with the Lakers through the 2023 season, and execs aren't allowed to make comments about players under contract that could "entice" them to join their franchise.

The Association got wind of Riley's comments ... and slapped the legend with a $25,000 fine on Wednesday.

You name a song after Tyler Herro, you get a Tyler Herro game-worn jersey!!

That's exactly what happened to Jack Harlow Monday night -- the rapper linked up with the Miami Heat star after they took on the Knicks ... and was gifted Herro's sweaty threads right off his back.

Of course, Harlow gave the 21-year-old sharp-shooter the ultimate shoutout in October 2020 with his single titled -- you guessed it -- "Tyler Herro."

In fact, Herro made a guest appearance in the music vid ... when Harlow says, "My homeboy, Tyler, he play in South Beach. He told me this summer he gon' fix my jumper."

Harlow -- who's fresh off performing the hit track on "Saturday Night Live" this past weekend -- decided to stay in town a few extra days to watch his buddy play at MSG ... all while mingling a bit more with 'SNL' star Pete Davidson.

Harlow and Herro got to chat after the game ... and posed for a pic on the court while Harlow held up his new gift.

BTW, Harlow picked a solid game to attend -- Herro racked up 18 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in the 98-88 win for the Heat.

No word on whether Herro ever helped Harlow with his jumper ... but the rapper DID team up with Quavo to beat Lil Baby and 2 Chainz in a celeb game during All-Star weekend.

Erik Spoelstra -- the only Asian-American head coach in the NBA -- ain't buying the notion that the massacre in ATL wasn't racially motivated ... and he's really pissed off about it.

The Miami Heat head coach -- who's of Filipino descent -- sounded off during a media session Friday ... saying the shooting incident which claimed 8 lives is nothing short of "sickening."

"Look, I’m Asian-American, I’m proud to be Asian-American, and seeing what’s happening with another outright form of racism and hatred really is sickening," Spoelstra said ... "It breaks my heart.”

There is some controversy over the suspected motive -- officials say 21-year-old Robert Long has admitted to opening fire at 3 Asian-run spas in the Atlanta area, killing 8 people ... but he told authorities the incident was more about his "sex addiction" than racism.

6 of the 8 victims are Asian -- and leaders in the Asian community are saying the attack was CLEARLY racially motivated.

Add Spoelstra to the list of people not buying what Long is selling.

"You have to see that this is wrong. It’s heartbreaking and this shows you where we are," Spoelstra continued.

"There is hatred abundantly still out there and people feel empowered to attack the Asian community ... and I just pray in my heart that this can stop."

As we previously reported, the L.A. Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks honored the victims with a moment of silence before Thursday night's games.

LeBron James has also spoken out against the shooter -- calling him a "coward ass young man."

Meyers Leonard is free to stream on Twitch again -- we've learned his ban has been lifted just over a week after he used an anti-Semitic slur during a video game session.

Remember, the former Miami Heat player was playing "Call of Duty" on March 9 when he hurled the K-word at an opposing player.

Twitch immediately blocked Leonard from the platform -- and the NBA hit Meyers with a $50k fine and a 1-week suspension.

Leonard apologized for using the slur and he's been working with various Jewish leaders to educate himself about why the word is dangerous and offensive ever since.

Now, Leonard's Twitch account has been reactivated -- which means he can get back to playing games in front of his 69,000 followers.

So far, Leonard has not logged back on -- and we're told he doesn't plan on doing so for a while -- while he continues to focus on educating himself.

In the meantime, Leonard has been traded from the Miami Heat to the OKC Thunder (though the Thunder don't plan on keeping him) ... and Meyers' wife issued a statement thanking the Heat franchise and the fan base.

"Our experience with the Heat has been anything but ordinary. Yet, it was nothing but exceptional", Elle Leonard said in a statement on social media.

Michael Rapaport ain't happy with the punishment dished out to NBA player Meyers Leonard in the wake of his anti-Semitic slur ... suggesting he it would have been way worse if he used the n-word instead of the k-word.

Rapaport was one of Leonard's harshest critics after the Miami Heat center used the k-word to insult an opponent during a video game live stream session earlier this month ... calling him a "dumb f**k" and demanding a sincere video apology.

The NBA has since imposed a 1-week suspension on Leonard and fined him $50,000.

Meyers has apologized and vowed to work with leaders run the Jewish community to educate himself on why the word is so dangerous and offensive.

But, Rap says that's not good enough ... and he's comparing the situation to the announcer who hurled the n-word at a high school basketball team in Oklahoma.

"Why is that any worse than the Myers Leonard thing?" Rapaport told us.

"I'm not happy with [Leonard's] punishment, but I think if he had said a different word -- if it had been a white guy saying the n-word, he’d be cut."

Rap continued, "Every single athlete would have spoken out about it, every single actor -- white, black and in between -- would have spoken out about it and it would still be discussed a week later."

Merriam-Webster defines the word "coalesce" as a verb meaning "to grow together."

... and NBA superstar Jimmy Butler clearly could not care less.

The Miami Heat wing BODIED a reporter Sunday for bringing that big word to his post-game press conference ... saying the guy didn't need to flex his brainy vocabulary when asking a simple question about how the team has bonded over the past few weeks.

The hilarious scene all went down after Butler led the Heat to a win over the Orlando Magic ... when a media member tried to ask the 31-year-old about Miami's recent team success.

"Does it feel like you're coalescing, as much as the record shows, into something?" the reporter asked. "I mean, 10 of 11 [games] is pretty special."

The "coalescing" term threw Butler off guard immediately ... watch the clip, his reaction is priceless!

"Don't do that," Jimmy said to the reporter. "Come on, now. What the hell does that mean?!"

The reporter tried to explain his question ... before Jimmy said, "You said a big word. You confused me."

The media member explained further ... saying he simply meant "coming together, congealing, gelling."

And that's when JB told the guy, "You could have just said that" ... before ultimately answering the question.

The NBA has suspended Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard for ONE WEEK for hurling an anti-Semitic comment during a video game sesh ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Leonard was also fined $50,000.

For the record, Leonard will make more than $9 million in contract money this season.

There's more ... the NBA says Leonard will be required to participate in a cultural diversity program.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Leonard's comment was "inexcusable and hurtful and such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society. "

Silver continued, "Yesterday, he spoke to representatives of the Anti-Defamation League to better understand the impact of his words and we accept that he is genuinely remorseful."

"We have further communicated to Meyers that derogatory comments like this will not be tolerated and that he will be expected to uphold the core values of our league -- equality, tolerance, inclusion and respect -- at all times moving forward."

Leonard's Miami Heat teammates and coaches spoke about the situation during a media session on Wednesday.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra said he's been in touch with Leonard -- who he considers a "good human being."

Spoelstra says Meyers "feels really bad" about using the anti-Semitic K-work during a video game streaming session and is getting a better understanding of why the word is hurtful and dangerous.

Miami Heat star Udonis Haslem also spoke out about Leonard's comment -- saying he has a bunch of Jewish friends and reached out to make sure they know hate speech is NOT tolerated within the Heat organization.

"I have a lot of Jewish friends and ya know, they call me Udonis Haslem-berg sometimes," he joked.

Jewish NFL star Julian Edelman says the anti-Semitic slur uttered by Meyers Leonard is the result of "casual ignorance" ... and he's offering to educate the NBA player on Jewish history so he doesn't make the same mistake twice.

Edelman says he's never met Leonard before -- but he's clearly caught up on the scandal surrounding the Miami Heat player, who used the anti-Semitic K-word to attack an opponent during a video game live stream this week.

Leonard later issued an apology -- claiming he was not aware of the hateful history of the word and vowed to educate himself about it.

"I'm sure you've been getting lots of criticism for what you said," Edelman said in an open letter to Leonard ... "Not trying to add to that, I just want to offer some perspective."

"I get the sense that you didn't use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance. Most likely, you weren't trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment. That's what makes it so destructive."

Edelman continued, "When someone intends to be hateful, it's usually met with great resistance. Casual ignorance is harder to combat and has greater reach, especially when you command great influence."

"Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can rapidly spread."

Edelman ended his letter with an offer to Leonard -- "I'm down in Miami fairly often. Let's do a Shabbat dinner with some friends I'll show you a fun time."

COVID-sniffing dogs are now a thing in America ... and the pups are getting their first whiff of action at an NBA game in Florida.

The Miami Heat debuted the virus-sniffing dogs at Wednesday's game at AmericanAirlines Arena, with our four-legged friends screening fans before they could be allowed inside the building.

As you can see, a trainer walks a dog down a line of socially-distanced fans under a big tent and the canine takes a big sniff before moving on to the next person. The dogs are taught to sit if they detect the virus, and the process looks quick and efficient.

The dogs are being used because the Heat are opening the arena up to fans for the first time this season, and it's just an added level of virus protocol in addition to a health questionnaire and mask mandate.

As we reported ... the dogs are being trained at nearby Florida International University, and Dr. DeEtta Mills, who is leading the program, told us how the canines could soon be deployed in airports across the country.

Miami Heat and Boston Celtics players took a knee during the national anthem prior to tip-off Wednesday ... with both teams releasing a powerful message following the Jacob Blake decision and unrest in D.C.

The Celtics reportedly held a players-only meeting during warmups ... presumably to figure out how to address the current status of the country and whether the game would take place.

The result -- a joint statement from both teams explaining their decision to play.

"2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed," the players said in a statement. "We play tonight’s game with a heavy heart after yesterday’s decision in Kenosha, and knowing that protesters in our nation's capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on."

"The drastic difference between the way protesters this past spring and summer were treated and the encouragement given to today’s protesters who acted illegally just shows how much work we have to do."

Of course, the players are referring to the Trump supporters who broke into the Capitol just hours ago ... breaking through barriers and jumping over walls to enter the building.

Miami center Meyers Leonard was the only Heat player to stand for the anthem (as he did throughout the 2020 season restart in Orlando) ... while every Celtics player elected to take a knee.

The statement continued ... "We have decided to play tonight’s game to try and bring joy into people's lives."

"But we must not forget the injustices in our society, and we will continue to use our voices and our platform to highlight these issues and do everything we can to work for a more equal and just America."

Duncan Robinson is known for his shooting, but the Miami Heat hooper came up with a huge assist this weekend ... by donating 10,000 meals to help those in need this holiday season.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 26-year-old ex-Michigan star was in the giving spirit on Saturday ... so he teamed up with A-Sha Foods to help put meals on the table for the people of South Florida.

Robinson ended up hand-delivering his contribution on Saturday in Pembroke Park, FL ... rolling up his sleeves and personally helping dish out the packs of ramen noodles.

It's been a great 2020 for Robinson -- the dude had a breakout season and averaged 13 points per game after 3 points per game in his rookie campaign.

Robinson also played a huge role in the Heat's NBA Finals run in the bubble ... so yeah, there were plenty of reasons to be thankful this year.

Tyler Herro came up with the perfect way to get over his NBA Finals loss ... by heading off to a tropical destination only he and his stunning GF can go -- TURKS AND CAKE!!!!

The 20-year-old Miami Heat rookie had his coming out party during this year's playoffs ... and proved to be one of the best young hoopers in the game.

His shooting is just as good OFF the court -- linking up with fitness guru and model Katya Elise Henry earlier this year during quarantine.

Now, the young lovers are taking in some R&R following the Heat's 4-2 loss to the Lakers in the Finals .. hitting up Turks and Caicos for a romantic getaway ... and the views are 🔥🔥🔥!!!

"summertime fine , winter time cold too," Herro captioned a steamy pic on Instagram ... quoting his buddy/rapper Jack Harlow's song, "RAIN."

Remember, Herro starred in Harlow's new music video -- perfectly titled "Tyler Herro" -- last week ... so the dude's been living the rock star life so far this off-season.

As for Katya, she posted several sexy shots from aboard a boat and at the pool ... using her creative nickname for their baecation location to include some 🍰.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro's impressive rookie season ain't over yet -- 'cause the sharp-shooter is getting his very own rap song ... courtesy of Jack Harlow!!

The 20-year-old star has made headlines throughout his first year in the Association -- from insane highlights on the court to dating smoking hot model Katya Elise Henry.

On the heels of balling out in the NBA Finals, the former Kentucky Wildcat is getting something most athletes only dream of ... with the "I Wanna See Some Ass" MC announcing the track, "Tyler Herro," coming out Thursday.

The gesture is a pretty big deal -- Harlow is a die-hard Louisville Cardinals fan ... and Herro played at rival UK before becoming a 1st-rounder in the NBA.

But, the rivalry didn't stop Harlow from exchanging jerseys with Herro to promote the album ... and including the young hooper in the single art.

It's not the only connection Harlow has to the NBA this season -- remember, he accidentally snitched on Lou Williams when he snapped a selfie with the L.A. Clippers guard at Magic City in ATL.

Herro now joins NBAers like Kobe Bryant, Mo Bamba and Dennis Rodman ... who have gotten the song treatment in the past.

Best rookie year ever?! ... eh, close.