Tyreek Hill playfully jabs at Jalen Ramsey after he celebrates Miami Heat advancing to NBA Finals

Published by

Mike Battaglino

3 years ago

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey haven’t been teammates on the Miami Dolphins very long, but their reactions to the Miami Heat reaching the NBA Finals are just the latest exchange between the two NFL stars.

Ramsey riding on the Heat bandwagon caused Hill to compare him to longtime New York Knicks superfan and constant sideline presence Spike Lee.

The Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday to advance to the NBA Finals. Miami will face the Denver Nuggets, with Game 1 in Denver on Thursday and Game 2 there on Sunday.

Ramsey didn’t make it clear if he plans to travel to Denver, but the series comes to Miami for Game 3 next Wednesday, when he will get his chance to root on the Heat at home.

He was traded to the Dolphins by the Los Angeles Rams in March. Soon after, he was at a Heat game with new teammate Xavien Howard, and they were given jerseys by the team.

Hill and Ramsey have gone back and forth since the trade, with references made to Hill’s previous desire to box Ramsey and a hard hit from the Pro Bowl Games.

The speedy wide receiver and shutdown cornerback are expected to test each other each day in practice, where more fireworks definitely could occur.

It didn’t look like Ramsey would get his chance to watch Miami in the Finals after it lost three games in a row and had to travel to Boston to play Game 7. But the Heat handled the Celtics to clinch the series and are back in the title round for the first time since 2020.

Miami avoided becoming the first team in NBA history to lose a best-of-seven series after winning the first three games.

Perhaps some of the South Florida good fortune could rub off on the Dolphins. The Florida Panthers have reached the Stanley Cup Final, where they will play the Vegas Golden Knights starting Saturday in Las Vegas.

The Dolphins haven’t been to the Super Bowl since the 1984 season, so Hill and Ramsey definitely have their work cut out for them.

Mike Battaglino

Mike is a veteran journalist who has covered the NFL for almost three decades. He has been an avid follower of the AFC East since the days of Bob Griese and is looking forward to an exciting new era in the division.