'That's our brother.' Heat players vow support for Rozier in wake of arrest, team meeting.

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel on Oct 24, 2025

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In the wake of Thursday’s arrest of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier on federal gambling charges, coach Erik Spoelstra said Friday the team held a meeting later in the day to reset and move forward.

“You’re left with no other choice. The league doesn’t wait. It doesn’t stop for you,” Spoelstra said after the morning shootaround at FedExForum, ahead of the team’s Friday night game against the Memphis Grizzlies. “We had a meeting yesterday to address things and then today, it was the task at hand.

“And if you’ve been around long enough in this league, you have to learn how to compartmentalize and to focus on the most immediate thing.”

Forward Nikola Jovic said the team informed the players of the status of Rozier — who has been placed on NBA leave and removed from the team — and how the situation would be handled within the team going forward.

“Spo told us what happened and how it’s going to look and that’s it,” Jovic said. “I just feel like we’ve got to be on the same page and know exactly what’s happening. So that’s it.”

And, with that, it was back to work, back to the typical game-day video study, drill work and preparation.

For many teams, this all might be quite new. To the Heat, in the wake of All-Star forward Jimmy Butler acting out last season before forcing his February trade to the Golden State Warriors, it was just another chapter amid the NBA whirlwind.

“It’s kind of what we’ve been doing these past three years, since I’ve been here at least,” forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. said.

Even having fallen out of the playing rotation after last season’s struggles, Rozier remained popular with teammates. That, Heat captain Bam Adebayo said, also made Friday morning’s shootaround feel unusual.

“You support him, through and through. That’s our brother at the end of the day,” Adebayo said. “It felt kind of weird in him not being here, actually, because he’s usually the first person I get to talk to in the morning, and he brings that great energy to our team.”

Instead of cutting short questions about Rozier, the Heat allowed access to the roster to voice thoughts on what remains an ongoing investigation both by the government and the NBA.

“I mean obviously we can’t comment on the situation,” Spoelstra said, “but Terry is somebody who is very dear to all of us. He’s had a real positive impact on our locker room, and the staff and players alike, and that includes last year, when he wasn’t in the rotation oftentimes. We send our thoughts and our care for him as he goes through this.”

A year ago, when word of the Rozier investigation surfaced, the Heat did not make Rozier available to the media in regard to the situation. Friday, there was candor throughout the roster.

“You never want to see something like that happen,” Adebayo said. “For us, as a team, we stand behind him, full support, and like I said, the biggest thing for us is keep praying for him, keep cheering for him behind the scenes and going out here to win games and change the narrative.”

It is a narrative that figures to linger, with the Heat yet to play their first home game this season, which will come Sunday against the New York Knicks at Kaseya Center.

“I mean, there’s a lot of things that happen in the NBA that you can’t control,” said guard Davion Mitchell, one of the players who arrived in last season’s trade of Butler. “So we just try to stick to the things that we can control and just keep the main thing the main thing.

“I mean, we’re here with Terry. We all support him, what he’s going through. And we know it’s tough, but we’ve got his back no matter what.”

Said Jovic: “We all love him and we’re with him. We’ll help him as much as we can. But I can’t say it’s easy; I can’t say it’s hard. But we just got to be together and continue doing this, I guess, without him for some time. But we’re with him and we love him and we’re going to support him in every way we can.”

So thoughts with Rozier, but also about a season still in its infancy.

“My thoughts and wishes are to Terry,” Jaquez said, “one of my good friends. Just hoping that everything ends up being all right for him. And then as far as our team, we just try to keep the main thing the main thing, and that being basketball.

“It’s just come as a collective and focus on basketball.”

All as the players acknowledged seeking additional insight.

“There’s a lot of stuff that we don’t know,” Jaquez said. “Just waiting for more information to come out. And just as a collective, send our thoughts and prayers with him and his family.”