Where in Hell Is the Heat's Rafer Alston?

via NBA.com

​Most of us don't make NBA money and we still manage to show up to work every day. And when we do decide to skip out, we at least have the decency to come up with an elaborate excuse. Not the Heat's Rafer Alston. He didn't show up to the game against the Atlanta Hawks this Saturday or practice before the game, and the only contact he's had with the team is a text message to a trainer.

He's been suspended indefinitely, and there's suspicion he isn't happy he lost his gig as starting point guard to Carlos Arroyo.

"Rafer Alston, while having made contact with the team via text message, has made himself otherwise unavailable to the team. As a result, he has been suspended indefinitely," read a statement from the Heat.

ESPN reports he's considering retirement, but doesn't elaborate much.

After some troubles early in his career, Alston came to ihe Heat in the 2003-04 season, when he established himself as a noteworthy player, and in Dwyane Wade's rookie season helped the team reach the semifinals.

After stints with the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic, Alston wound up with the Nets at the beginning of this season but tumbled down rotation. He returned to Miami in the middle of the season and played 25 games as a starter but didn't live up to the expectations of his first stint with the team. He was demoted from starting duties after the Heat's win over the Lakers last week and hasn't spoken with his team or the media since.

"Nothing surprises you. It's how you handle it that defines you. We'll see how it all goes," Alston said upon being demoted, according to the Miami Herald.

I guess this means Alston has defined himself as a no-show diva.