jimmy butler Recently his comments went viral about where the Miami Heat would be if he were able to play in the playoffs, but it appears that his team president, Pat Riley, is not too happy with his comments.
Butler was seen in a video circulated on social media talking about how Boston Celtics And if the New York Knicks were playing he would be “at home”, meaning his presence on the court with the Heat would not have resulted in them losing in the first round. Butler suffered a sprained MCL during the play-in tournament, causing him to miss the first round.
Riley spoke to the media on Monday, where he was asked his thoughts on Butler’s comments.
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Pat Riley looks on during the Udonis Haslem jersey retirement at Kasia Center on January 19, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Issac Baldizzon/NBAE via Getty Images)
“With him saying that, I wondered, is Jimmy trolling, or is Jimmy serious?” Riley said. “If you’re not on the court playing against Boston, if you’re not on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut and criticize those teams.”
Riley’s message is crystal clear here, as the Heat are, in fact, no longer playing in the playoffs as the Celtics and Knicks have both moved to the second round.
Butler can be heard saying in the video, “If I was playing, Boston would be at home, New York Will definitely be at home. Josh Hart? Come on.”
He also joked that he wanted to beat up Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau on the court, to which the veteran coach responded by saying the exact same thing to reporters before the Knicks’ first-round matchup with the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat prepares to shoot a free throw against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on February 2, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images)
“Who?” Thibodeau said Sunday. “I don’t know him. But I’m going to beat him to death.”
Riley also has deep ties to the Knicks, having been their head coach from 1991-95 before joining the Heat. Riley led the Knicks to the NBA Finals during the 1993–94 campaign when the team went 57–25.
Riley’s Heat made it to the Finals last season, surprising everyone as they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and continued losing in the Eastern Conference Championship before losing to the Denver Nuggets in the final series of the season. Butler was a key part of making that happen.
Pat Riley watches before Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on June 12, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Issac Baldizzon/NBAE via Getty Images)
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But Riley doesn’t want to hear hypotheticals from Butler, whether he’s “trolling” or not. The two teams he mentioned still have a chance to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy, while the Heat are already looking forward to the 2024-25 season.
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