CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Michael Deason was surprised to receive my phone call.
He thought his brush with fame was over. It has been three years since he was dubbed “Purple Shirt Guy” after heckling Dwyane Wade during Game 6 of the Miami Heat’s 2016 playoff series against the Charlotte Hornets.
With Wade playing his final game in Charlotte on Wednesday night, I brought the subject back up again.
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“They still talk about it down there,” Deason told me. “I thought it was over.”
The game is hard to forget considering Wade mentioned it as one of his favorite moments during his media session last month at NBA All-Star weekend. He also included “Purple Shirt Guy Game” on a T-shirt that is part of the D. Wade World Tour line.
So Wade and Deason are forever linked.
“It ranks somewhere in the top 10 moments for me,” Wade said. “I think probably because our team was facing elimination on the road. This was two years after the Big Three broke up. It was a big moment for me to show the young guys, the Justise Winslows, the Josh Richardsons. Those guys were rookies at the time, so they could see a little bit about what they heard about Dwyane Wade. I got a chance to show them a little bit in that series and that game.”
For Wade, it added to his legendary career. For Deason, it thrust him into the spotlight. Some of it was welcomed. But it also created some uncomfortable situations. Many in Charlotte felt he was responsible for the Hornets’ postseason exit.
The Hornets led 3-2 in their first-round, best-of-7 series and had a chance to close it out in Game 6 at home. Deason jawed at Wade throughout the game. Wade scored eight of the Heat’s final 10 points, including two 26-foot 3-pointers and a step-back jumper with 20 seconds left to lead the team to a 97-90 victory. He stared down Deason after making his final basket. The Heat went on to win Game 7 in Miami and advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The game is still a sore subject for some Hornets players. Guard Kemba Walker declined an interview upon learning the nature of the story. Forward Nicolas Batum said the situation brought to mind the trash talk between Spike Lee and Reggie Miller. Miller scored eight points in 18.7 seconds in the 1994 playoffs after being heckled by Lee throughout the game.
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“Someone said to me, ‘That guy lost us the game,’” Batum said. “I don’t think he lost it. I think he got D-Wade hyped. Don’t do it, especially those games.
“In history, watch Reggie Miller. That’s why they won. That’s what it reminded me of. D-Wade never made that many 3s in a game, and then all of a sudden he makes (two) step-back 3s in one minute.”
Deason said, “If that’s the case, (Wade) should’ve hired me to come with him to every game thereafter.”
The loss marked the beginning of a downward spiral in Charlotte. After missing the playoffs the following two seasons, coach Steve Clifford was fired. The Hornets, currently tied with Miami for the No. 8 seed in the East, are in danger of a third straight postseason absence that could eventually lead to breaking up the team.
“The people in Charlotte who think that I was the one to blame, I laugh,” said Deason, 46, who lives in Greensboro, N.C. “I’m sorry that you feel that way. Here’s the one thing I’ll say to them: We won three games and I cheered like a mofo.”
Dwyane Wade reacts after making a 3-pointer late in Game 6 of the Heat’s playoff win over the Hornets on Apr. 29, 2016, as Michael Deason, aka Purple Shirt Guy, yaps at him from behind. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Even though most of the fallout was harmless, Deason said he dealt with a few cases of fans taking it too far. He said that his brother was attempting to sell some property a few years ago. When the Hornets surfaced in the conversation during the deal, his brother told the prospective buyer he was related to Purple Shirt Guy. The buyer left and took his business elsewhere.
Another angry fan posted one of Deason’s old addresses online. One sent a threatening message to his wife on Facebook. Before being interviewed for this story, he requested to keep his contact information confidential.
“Most people started to understand that I was just a fan,” Deason said. “I had a couple people that went after my wife. I was like, ‘Really? Y’all going to do this?’ There was one guy who owned a store in Charlotte, so I called him up. I’m like, ‘Look, if you’ve got a problem, call me. Don’t Facebook my wife acting like you’re some big guy.’ It was ridiculous.”
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Shortly after, Deason left social media expecting that the craziness would die down soon. He has since attended only two Hornets games. One of them was when Wade returned with the Chicago Bulls the following season.
While Deason no longer attends games in Charlotte because of restrictions for courtside fans and is not planning to attend Wednesday’s matchup, he said he’d be open to attending Wade’s final game against the Hornets later this month in Miami. It could be an opportunity to discuss ways they could turn the moment into a chance to raise money for charity by autographing a T-shirt together.
“Obviously, our world is in a state of unrest right now in a crazy way,” Deason said. “If that were a chance to do something to make people maybe laugh a little bit more about it, that’d be pretty cool.”
He now roots for his favorite team from home. He misses the days of heckling players like Kevin Durant from his courtside seats. Deason said he once called Durant the third-best player in the league, and he responded, “I’m No. 1, bitch.”
After the Wade incident, the Hornets began keeping tabs on Deason. The organization asked him to tone down his cheering. He said at least one NBA referee would check to see if he was attending the game, and another kicked him out with 34 seconds remaining because of the incessant heckling.
“I enjoyed watching (the Hornets),” Deason said. “I enjoyed being there. I understand the Charlotte Hornets, and they want to have a family environment. If someone sees me cheering, they’re going to think I’m saying, ‘Hey, F you!’ and all this. But I’m asking the guy where he got his shoes from because it looks like the worst shoe contract in the NBA.”‘
Eventually, Deason wants to move past it all. The purple shirt is just a memory. He would rather embrace Wade’s final months on the basketball court. He calls him one of the greatest shooting guards in league history and is appreciative of their bond.
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“(Heat players) hated me being there because I wouldn’t shut up,” Deason said. “But at the same time, a couple of them were like, ‘We wish we had fans as passionate as you.’ I’m a passionate fan. I wish (Wade) well. He’s a good guy and great player.”
(Top photo: Streeter Lecka / Getty Images)
