The drama surrounding star forward Jimmy Butler has turned into the story of the Miami Heat’s season, and franchise legend Tim Hardaway just became one of the latest prominent voices to speak on the matter.
Hardaway had a lot to say about Butler during an appearance on SiriusXM and implied at one point that the 35-year-old “can’t take rejection.” Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald relayed the quote in question.
“Count Heat great Tim Hardaway among those baffled by Butler’s behavior,” Jackson wrote on X. “He told Sirius XM: ‘It’s all about authority saying no to somebody. And these guys can’t take rejection… If you can’t take rejection because [everyone] has been saying, yes, yes, yes to you, now you’re upset and the world is coming to an end. ‘Oh I can’t play because he’s not giving me the money.’ No! Go out and damn play! You’re under contract.'”
Hardaway played for the Heat in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s. That was certainly a different era in the NBA, which may be factoring into his view of the Butler situation.
Hardaway, a Hall of Famer, had some of the best years of his career with the Heat, earning two All-Star nods and three All-NBA selections with them. He retired from the NBA as a five-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selectee.
Butler is working on quite a legacy for himself — he has six All-Star selections and five All-NBA nods — and may very well be remembered best for his time in a Heat uniform once he retires. Unfortunately, his tenure in Miami is in danger of ending in an ugly way.
The veteran is currently serving a seven-game, team-issued suspension, and it has become clear that he wants to be traded.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean Butler has played his final game for the Heat. While Miami is said to be exploring its trade options, nothing has come together just yet, so Butler’s suspension could end before he’s dealt. That would open the door for him to return to the team once he’s eligible to do so.
Of course, it’s also technically not a guarantee that Butler will be traded at all, even though his relationship with the Heat appears to be severely fractured.
For now, Miami is trying to stay afloat without Butler. The Heat have picked up wins in each of their last two games, getting them back above .500 at 19-17. They currently hold a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.
