When Miami Heat President of Basketball Operations Pat Riley saw his star player making a bold statement about the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics, he questioned whether it was a troll job or not.
Former Philadelphia 76ers standout Jimmy Butler didn’t get an opportunity to compete for the Heat during the 2024 NBA Playoffs. After suffering an ankle injury against the Sixers during the Play-In Tournament, Butler was forced to miss the first round.
As the eighth seed, the Heat didn’t come close to putting together a run that mirrored last year’s. After going to the NBA Finals as the Eastern Conference’s last seed, the Heat lost 4-1 against the Celtics in the first round.
Butler, who watched from the side, made it clear that the series would’ve gone in a different direction had he been healthy. And as for the Sixers’ first-round opponent, the Knicks, Butler was confident he could’ve taken care of them as well.
“If I was playing, Boston would be at home,” Butler said in a video that went viral recently. “New York DAMN sure would be at home … Josh Hart? Come on, man. I love [Tom Thibodeau]. Thhibs, I love you, baby. I wanna beat you to a pulp. You want me, I don’t want you. It’s like a one-sided relationship. You in love with me, and I love you! But I’m not in love with you. You know what I’m saying?”
Riley wasn’t exactly pleased.
In a sit-down with Miami-based reporters this week, the former coach-turned-executive didn’t hold back his opinion on Butler’s statement.
"For him to say that, I thought, 'is that Jimmy trolling? Or is that Jimmy serious?'" Riley said, according to CBS Sports. "If you're not on the court playing against Boston, or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut."
Riley’s comments might paint a certain picture to outsiders that will likely keep everybody glued to the situation out in Miami.
Late last week, when the Sixers dropped their first round series against the Knicks with a 2-4 loss, some smoke was created about the idea of a potential Butler-Sixers reunion. If the basketball world believes Riley is fed up with Butler, the smoke will only grow even more.
But Riley’s never been one to hold back. While his comments come off as tough — it’s more than likely just tough love at the end of the day. Butler’s absence was a struggle for Miami, but the Heat’s organization knows what he brings to the table in the postseason when healthy. They might not like it, but Butler has earned the right to do some smack talking every now and then.
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