Johnson earning 'respect back' after failing Heat's conditioning demands

Forward James Johnson was allowed to return to the Miami Heat for the first time Friday since he was exiled for failing to meet the club's conditioning requirements at the start of training camp.

"It was Day 1 of earning my respect back," he said Friday, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "That's the only emotion I had, is earn my respect back."

The Heat never revealed exactly what standards Johnson fell short of. However, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that Johnson failed to meet an unspecified weight demand set by Heat president Pat Riley.

Johnson has a clause in his contract that allows him to earn an extra $242,000 in bonuses for meeting body-fat percentage and weight requirements, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

Veteran Heat big man Udonis Haslem said he spoke with Johnson after the slipup about the Heat's attempts to improve their culture, per Winderman.

Johnson asserted he's ready to move past the ordeal after facing what he deemed were necessary consequences.

"It's good to be back home," he said. "I got exactly what I needed; I got exactly what I needed to hear. Hopefully I can put it all behind me after this."