Miami Heat Vice City night: date, TV and merch before GTA 6
The Miami Heat play as Vice City against the Bucks on November 18, the night before GTA 6 launches. Here's the tip-off time, TV channel, tickets and merch.
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The Miami Heat will play one home game as Vice City, the fictional Miami of Grand Theft Auto VI, on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, against the Milwaukee Bucks. The team and Rockstar Games announced "A Night in Vice City" on October 2. The Miami Heat Vice City game tips off at 7 PM ET at Kaseya Center on ESPN, one night before GTA 6 launches on November 19.
Key takeaways
- Heat vs. Bucks, November 18, 7 PM ET (6 PM in Mexico City) at Kaseya Center in Miami, on ESPN nationally in the US, per the Heat.
- The Heat say they'll play on a one-night-only Vice City Court in a new uniform they've never worn. As of October 3, the design hasn't been described in the announcement.
- A Vice City collection from the Heat's Court Culture line is already on sale, with tops listed at US$45 to US$55.
- The Heat call it a "never-been-done-before event". That's the team's claim, not a record we verified.
- The game is also Giannis Antetokounmpo's first against the Bucks since Milwaukee traded him to Miami in June, Yahoo Sports reports.
What A Night in Vice City includes
The Heat's event page lists three pieces. The team will debut what it calls a "new, completely reimagined uniform", play on a special Vice City Court hardwood used for one night only, and sell a Vice City Court Culture Collection through the Miami HEAT Store. ESPN reports that the night also brings themed programming and activations around the arena, and that the Heat lit a "Welcome to Vice City" sign on the Kaseya Center roof for the announcement.
What the new uniform looks like is still open. Neither the Heat's page nor SportsLogos.Net's write-up describes the design. The team's own line, as SportsLogos.Net quotes it: "For one night only, the HEAT trade Miami for Vice City."
How to watch Heat vs. Bucks on November 18
According to the Heat, tip-off is 7 PM Eastern on Wednesday, November 18, which is 6 PM in Mexico City. In the US, ESPN carries the game nationally. In South Florida it's also on WPLG Local 10, and on the radio at 104.3 WQAM. The Heat's page doesn't list international broadcasters.
Tickets and Vice City merch
The Heat point fans to Ticketmaster for tickets and haven't published prices for this game on the event page. The Court Culture collection is on sale now in Miami HEAT Store locations and online. Prices on the Heat's page, in US dollars as of October 3:
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Court Culture Vice City Grill Oversized Tee | US$55 |
| Court Culture Vice City Souvenir Oversized Tee | US$55 |
| Court Culture x Duvin Vice City Pool Service Pocket Tee | US$55 |
| Court Culture I 🩷 Vice City Crop | US$45 |
The team hasn't said whether the game uniform itself will be sold as a jersey.
Why the Miami Heat Vice City night is unusual
Teams wear special uniforms all the time. What stands out here is that a real NBA team is trading its city's name for a fictional one, built for a video game's release week. The Heat call it a "first-of-its-kind sports crossover experience" in the announcement ESPN cites. That's marketing language, and we haven't checked every league's history, so treat "first" as the team's claim.
The GTA 6 Miami Heat pairing isn't out of nowhere, though. According to SportsLogos.Net, the Heat have worn Miami Vice-inspired "Vice" uniforms since the 2017-18 season, in white, black, pink, blue and gradient versions, and it counts this as the team's fourth Vice-themed court. Vice City, in turn, is Rockstar's version of Miami: Game Informer's GTA 6 feature is built on how the studio researched the real city.
The basketball has its own hook. The Heat acquired Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from Milwaukee on June 23, 2026, for a package led by Tyler Herro. Yahoo Sports notes that November 18 is his first game against the Bucks, his team for 13 seasons, so the game had a storyline before the Vice City news.
What happens next
The Heat open their season on October 21 against Minnesota, per Yahoo Sports. The team hasn't said when it will show the uniform and the court. GTA 6 arrives the day after the Vice City game, on November 19, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. If you're planning the launch, our pieces on GTA 6's price and the GTA 6 PEGI rating leak cover the rest.
Bottom line
If you're in Miami, the Miami Heat Vice City night is a Wednesday game against the Bucks at 7 PM ET, with tickets through Ticketmaster and the Court Culture tees already in the store. Everyone else in the US can watch on ESPN. The one thing still missing is the uniform itself, and the Heat's "never been done" framing is their claim, not a verified record.
FAQ
When is the Miami Heat Vice City game?
Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at 7 PM ET (6 PM in Mexico City), against the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center. That's the night before GTA 6 launches on November 19.
What channel is Heat vs. Bucks on November 18?
ESPN has the national broadcast in the US. In South Florida the game is also on WPLG Local 10 and on 104.3 WQAM radio, according to the Heat.
Can you buy the Vice City jersey?
Not yet, as far as the team has said. The Heat are selling a Vice City Court Culture collection of tops from US$45 to US$55, but they haven't announced a retail version of the game uniform.