Heat fine Waiters for 'f--- patience' comment

Warning: Story contains coarse language

The Miami Heat have fined Dion Waiters an undisclosed amount for “conduct detrimental to the team” after the shooting guard voiced displeasure with his playing time following the team's 124-86 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson.

Waiters played just 11:56 against Milwaukee in his fifth game back after missing most of the past two seasons due to an ankle injury. After the game, he said, "F--- patience. I want to play. I've been patient long enough."

"What do I got to be patient for? Come on, man," he added. "I've been patient. I think everybody knows that. It's time. What are we waiting for? If I'm out there, play me."

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra took exception to the timing of the comments, and how Waiters chose to make his grievances known.

“Obviously, it’s not acceptable behavior, particularly coming off the type of disappointing loss we had the other night,” Spoelstra said on Thursday, per Jackson.

Prior to being shut down in December 2017, Waiters had established himself as a key contributor for Miami, averaging 15.2 points and 4.1 assists per game in his first 76 appearances with the team.

"... I think it’s important for him to realize: Our team is much different than when he left last year, and while his teammates are really here to support him, nobody is volunteering their rotation minutes to him," Spoelstra continued. "It’ll have to be earned just like everybody else. These concepts of patience and surrendering to the team, whether we want to put expletives in front of it or behind it, those are going to be very important concepts for him to embrace, and I think he will.”