Jimmy Butler recently went viral for his comments about where the Miami Heat would be if they could play in the playoffs, but it seems his team president Pat Riley isn't too happy with his comments.
Butler was seen in a video that circulated on social media talking about how the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks would be “at home” if he were playing, implying that his presence on the court with the Heat would have resulted in them not losing. . in the first round. Butler sprained his 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 opinion on Butler's comments.
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Pat Riley looks on during Udonis Haslem's jersey retirement on January 19, 2024 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. (Issac Baldizón/NBAE via Getty Images)
“For him to say that, I thought: 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 pretty clear here, as the Heat are, in fact, no longer playing in the playoffs, as the Celtics and Knicks advanced to the second round.
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In the video, Butler can be heard saying, “If I was playing, Boston would be home, New York would be home for sure. Josh Hart? Come on, man.”
He also jokingly said he wanted to beat 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 against the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat prepares to shoot a free throw against the Washington Wizards on February 2, 2024 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. (Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images)
“WHO?” Thibodeau said Sunday. “I don't know him. But I will beat him to a pulp.”
Riley also has a strong connection to the Knicks, having been their head coach from 1991 to 1995 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 reached the Finals last season, surprising everyone when they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and went on to sweep the Eastern Conference competition before losing to the Denver Nuggets in the season finale. Butler was a key piece in making that happen.
Pat Riley watches before Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets on June 12, 2023 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. (Issac Baldizón/NBAE via Getty Images)
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But Riley doesn't want to hear Butler hypothesize whether he was “trolling” or not. The two teams he mentioned still have a chance to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy, while the Heat are already looking ahead to the 2024-25 season.
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