Jimmy Butler did not mince his words when talking about a potential interaction with Heat president Pat Riley.
Jimmy Butler made his return to Miami tonight as the Heat faced the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately for Butler, he couldn’t overcome his former team.
The superstar didn’t play particularly well, putting up just 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Bam Adebayo was looking forward to Butler’s return, and it showed tonight as he dropped 27 points.
Draymond Green said Jimmy Butler had a secret strategy for the Heat, but it appears that strategy backfired massively.
But prior to the game, Butler was completely locked in, sending a warning to Heat head honcho Pat Riley in an interview.
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Taylor Rooks of TNT Sports spoke to Jimmy Butler ahead of the Miami Heat game. When asked about what he would do in a potential interaction with Pat Riley, Butler didn’t hold back.
The Warriors star claimed that he had nothing he wanted to say to Riley and warned that the Heat president shouldn’t say anything to him either.
“I have nothing to say to Pat, and Pat better have nothing to say to me.”
Clearly, even though the departure got finalized and Riley got him what he wanted, there is still bad blood between Butler and Riley.
Perhaps their relationship is the reason Jimmy Butler refuses to call his time with the Heat a success. Either way, few players talk about Riley in this way, as he is a well-regarded historical figure in the NBA.
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Playing against the team that refused to pay you after what you achieved with them would have been a great motivation for Butler to perform well.
The game was his chance to show the Heat that they made a big mistake by disrespecting him after he took them to multiple NBA Finals with a mediocre roster.
However, with Stephen Curry out due to an injury, Butler crumbled. The Heat definitely paid a lot of defensive attention to Butler.
But for him to shrink when the lights were on brightest is not a good look, especially as the Warriors head into what is sure to be a challenging playoff run.
