Miami Heat executive Pat Riley had a lot to say while meeting with the media on Monday, and some of his comments on star wing Jimmy Butler made headlines.
The comments prompted former NBA wing Evan Turner to joke about what Riley is like around his wife.
“That’s a harsh n***a, man. I wonder how Pat Riley is with his wife.”
Evan Turner reacts to Pat Riley’s comments on Jimmy Butler 🤣 pic.twitter.com/PxCt9Rpdg9
— Point Forward (@pointforward) May 7, 2024
With Butler injured, the Heat were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Celtics, but that didn’t stop the 34-year-old from talking some trash after the fact.
Jimmy Butler:
“If I was playing, Boston would be at home, New York damn sure would be at home. Josh Hart? C’mon man.” 👀
pic.twitter.com/8Po2qOZq71— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) May 4, 2024
Riley wasn’t a fan of Butler’s comments.
This is the exact Pat Riley quote on Jimmy Butler that has caught fire on Twitter: "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 on the criticism of those teams."
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) May 6, 2024
Butler has earned a reputation as one of the best postseason performers in the NBA, but he didn’t get a chance to add to his playoff legacy this season. He missed Miami’s entire first-round series against Boston due to an MCL injury.
In 2020 and 2023, Butler helped the Heat reach the NBA Finals, overcoming long odds each time to get there. However, the franchise is still trying to win its first title of the Butler era, and the 2023-24 campaign was largely a year to forget for the organization.
Butler’s future is starting to become a bit of a hot topic around the NBA, with some questioning whether his partnership with the Heat will last. There has even been some buzz connecting him to the Philadelphia 76ers.
For now, he remains a core part of the Heat, but he’s only under contract for one more season (excluding his player option for the 2025-26 campaign). That’s going to be a relevant subject throughout the offseason for Miami.
This season, the six-time All-Star averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 49.9 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from deep. The Heat finished with a 46-36 record in the regular season before earning a playoff bid by way of the play-in tournament.
It seems to be a tense time for Heat fans, who may be anxious for clarity about the direction of the organization. It will be Riley’s job to navigate the waters during the offseason and do what’s best for the franchise’s immediate and future interests.
The Heat haven’t won an NBA title since 2013, when the Big 3 era was still ongoing in South Florida.
