Inside The Heat

Looking Back at the Best Fights in Miami Heat History

Jake Elman|
Dec 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets and Miami Heat players break up a fight between Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Dec 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets and Miami Heat players break up a fight between Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

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Miami Heat

Tyler Herro’s viral fight with Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson is the latest entertaining fight in Miami Heat history.

Herro and Thompson clashed in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 104-100 Heat victory. Thompson tossed Hero to the ground after the two bumped into one another and subsequently grabbed the other. 

Heat players have long had a reputation for not going down without a fight. Here’s a look at some past Heat skirmishes in no particular order: 

P.J. Tucker vs. Charlie Ward in second round of playoffs

Tucker thought Ward was unfairly boxing him out at the free throw line, so the Heat big man went full WWE. He body-slammed Ward into the stands, leading to a huge brawl. 

Larry Johnson vs. Alonzo Mourning in the 1998 playoffs 

While Johnson and Mourning were the main event, it was Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy who became the star of this fight. Him holding onto Mourning's leg remains the highlight of this incident. 

James Johnson vs. Serge Ibaka in 2018

Ibaka picked the wrong person to challenge. Not only does Johnson never back down from a fight, he's a trained black belt and MMA fighter. 

Hassan Whiteside vs. Alex Len in 2015

Whiteside went for the full takedown on Len after the two players were tangled up following a dunk. No punches were thrown, but credit Whiteside for the Kurt Angle attempt. 

Caleb Martin vs. Christian Koloko in 2022

Both players made contact while going for a rebound. Koloko ended up being tackled into the baseline seats after taking exception to the physicality. 

LeBron James vs. Nazr Mohammed in 2013 playoffs

James was called for a technical while appearing to throw down Mohammed. Even after the call, Mohammed responded by shoving James to the ground.

Markieff Morris vs. Nikola Jokic in 2021

Jokic responded in a big way after being bumped first by blindsiding Morris. The play left Morris with a neck injury that caused him to miss 58 games. 

Tyler Herro vs. Jusuf Nurkic in 2022

Herro may have taken on more than he could handle when challenging Nurkic. Even though it was in response to Nurkic's shove, Herro ended up taking a punch in the face. 

Heat vs. Hawks in 1994 playoffs 

Probably the most underrated fight in Heat history. Both teams were getting chippy when it erupted after Hawks forward Duane Ferrell pushed Grant Long to the ground while blocking out. Punches were thrown and the benches cleared. 

What are your favorite fights involving the Miami Heat? Let us know.

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.

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Jake Elman
JAKE ELMAN

Jake Elman is a veteran sports journalist and graduate of Florida Atlantic University’s journalism program. In recent years, he has covered the NFL for EndGame360 and served as the sports content lead for ExpressVPN. He also covered the Lane Kiffin years at FAU for the Palm Beach Post.

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