Miami Heat point guard Rafer Alston is still not with the team, and the Heat appear to be ready to give up on his possible return. Alston has not been showing up to practice for the last few days, and his lone communication with the team has been through text messages. Heat Coach Erik Spolestra made his position on the Alston situation fairly clear when speaking to reporters on Monday, saying the following:
“It’s unfortunate because we’re going through a major playoff push right now. And what we’ve emphasized since the very first day of training camp is purity. You’re either in or you’re out. And I guess he’s declared that he’s out. So we know who our group is now.”
Right now, very little is known about why the former streetball legend has chosen to leave the Heat, and he may well have legitimate reasons behind his actions. For the moment, however, it looks like the NBA career of “Skip To My Lou” may be over.