Erik Spoelstra calls out Myron Gardner for talking trash to Anthony Edwards

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra addressed reserve Myron Gardner on Thursday for talking trash to Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards from the bench during Wednesday's season opener. Edwards scored 45 points to lead Minnesota to a 131-106 victory over Miami, later revealing that Gardner's taunts helped energize him. While Spoelstra acknowledged that he values Gardner's competitive spirit, he emphasized that the forward needs to be smarter and avoid provoking top scorers when he is not on the court.

Teammate Bam Adebayo recalled that Gardner previously engaged in similar sideline trash talk with Klay Thompson before Thompson joined the Heat. Spoelstra and the coaching staff have worked to channel Gardner's high-intensity approach, with Adebayo noting that teammates sometimes need to calm him down. Gardner, who was previously fined $35,000 by the NBA following an altercation in February 2026, was not made available to reporters during Thursday's practice.