MIAMI — The “bum” is now a teammate. For the past week, the player he had called “trash” has been lining up alongside during Miami Heat drill work.

The lesson learned by second-year Heat guard Myron Gardner is how teammate twists can leave tongues tied.

Last November, in a game he didn’t even see action, the Heat neophyte had the temerity from his team’s bench to test the patience of Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson with those two aforementioned taunts, among others.

As in Klay Thompson, a Heat prized offseason addition who is now Gardner’s teammate.

Gulp.

Fortunately for Gardner, the apology process began minutes after the Heat victory 11 months ago at Kaseya Center, when Heat assistant coach Caron Butler walked Gardner to the Dallas bench to make amends after the final buzzer.

Air cleared.

Now with the ability both ways to laugh it off.

So Myron Gardner more annoying as opponent or teammate?

“It’s equal,” Thompson, 36, said with a smile, as the Heat continue preparations ahead of their Oct. 21 regular-season opener against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves. “Just like we got into our spat, he is the same Myron today.”

Just as Gardner, 25, did not see action in that victory over the Mavericks, on a night Thompson scored 13 for Dallas, Gardner’s mouth continued to motor through training camp last week at Florida Atlantic University, including – again – even while not on the court.

“He wasn’t even in for a couple games,” Thompson said of the camp scrimmages, “and he was just talking mess for the (starting) team.”

At times such as these, with real action still three weeks away, motor-mouth Myron has a way of adding needed pep to step.

“And it helped,” Thompson said of Gardner’s support for the reserve units during training camp. “It lifted them. And you need that.”

Having arrived from the Mavericks as a free agent, Thompson said he has come to better appreciate why the Heat tolerate and accentuate Gardner.

“I’m learning the Heat,” Thompson said. “They love guys with an edge, so I’m all about Myron being himself.”

When it comes to who he is on the court, Gardner said no apologies.

“It’s just who I am, just playing basketball. I really don’t think much of it, for real,” he said.

For years the Heat have embraced those who previously only were viewed as enemy, be it former New York Knicks forward Anthony Mason, former Indiana Pacers center Jermaine O’Neal or former Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen joining the fold.

Gardner said the Thompson lesson is to know when to be foe and when to be friend.

After Klay Thompson and Myron Gardner were chirping and were given technical fouls, assistant coach Caron Butler took Gardner to the tunnel to apologize and give Klay his respect.

This is awesome. pic.twitter.com/v4mcYzxw0R

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 26, 2025

“I got some peers in the league, too, that I play,” Gardner said of former teammates during his pathways through college and the G League. “I don’t show them no real mercy when we’re on the floor, too. But after the game, we kick it, laugh, do whatever. But during the game, it’s do or die.”

The start of camp meant a summit with Thompson.

“We talked about it a little bit, like had some laughs over it, for sure,” Gardner said.

That wasn’t necessarily the case during that November matchup last season, when Thompson turned to the Heat bench and asked Gardner who he even was.

“You can’t sit at my table, bro,” Thompson barked during their back-and-forth.

That, in fact, was when Thompson pointed up to the retired jerseys at Kaseya Center – those of Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, among others – and added, “There’s only a few who can and they’re up there.”

Not that he was forecasting the future, but it was among the reasons Butler insisted on Gardner making immediate amends with Thompson after that game last November, the former All-Star appreciating the NBA as a fraternity.

“I appreciate Caron for that, too, just to clarify everything, make sure it was good,” Gardner said of what stood somewhat as a walk of shame.

Butler reflected on the incident over the summer on the All the Smoke podcast with former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes.

“It’s a respect-the-game clause that exists in the fabric of my DNA,” Butler said of feeling the need to walk Gardner over to Thompson. “Like this is a proven champion. He’s done a lot in this Association. So what we’re going to do is we’re going to go down here and just make sure that he understands.

“And after we understood that, we were good.”

Butler said what mattered was Gardner accepting it as a teaching point, a learning moment.

“He wasn’t trying to fight the education of like, ‘Damn, that is one of the all timers right there. Maybe I was tripping and I violated a little bit.’  So, and it helped him going forward,” Butler said.

“It was just all like competition. It wasn’t like disrespect. And we can live with that.”