Jimmy Butler's tenure with the Miami Heat did not end on the best of notes, as the six-time All-Star was dealt to the Golden State Warriors before the NBA trade deadline in February after months of tension between he and the franchise.
Butler is playing in his first game against the Heat since the trade on Tuesday night—and it appears that the Warriors star is holding onto some resentment towards Heat president Pat Riley.
TNT Sports' Taylor Rooks, who spoke with Butler in the lead-up to the Warriors-Heat game, asked him what he expects if he runs into Riley either before or after the contest.
Butler was blunt in his response.
"I have nothing to say to Pat, and Pat better have nothing to say to me"
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Jimmy Butler had this to say to @TaylorRooks ahead of his return to Miami 🫣 pic.twitter.com/RSdPUeBamA
"I have nothing to say to Pat, and Pat better have nothing to say to me," Butler said, according to Rooks.
It's no secret that there was tension between Butler and Riley, two of the most expressive personalities in the NBA. Perhaps the first sign—publicly at least—that there was tension between the two came in May of 2024. After the Boston Celtics' victory over the Heat in a first-round playoff series that Butler sat out, Butler, in an interview, said that Miami would have been victorious had he been healthy.
Riley, in an end-of-year news conference, didn't mince words.
"If you’re not on the court playing … you should keep your mouth shut," he said at the time.
Miami then decided not to pay Butler a two-year, $113 million contract extension that he was eligible for this past summer. The Heat's refusal to pay Butler, as well as Riley's public challenge to the veteran forward to be available for more games reportedly resulted in a soured relationship` between the two parties, according to The Miami Herald.
And the relationship doesn't seem like it will be on the mend anytime soon.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jimmy Butler Had Blunt Message About Pat Riley Ahead of Return to Miami.
