Miami Heat: Pat Riley Takes Issue With Jimmy Butler’s Viral Boston Celtics Trolling

After two disappointing stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers, Butler joined the Heat in 2019 and quickly established himself as the number one option of the team. In that same season, Jimmy Buckets led Miami to a Finals appearance inside the Bubble, but eventually lost to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Butler would replicate that feat last year when they returned to the Finals but lost the chance to become champions against the Denver Nuggets. Ultimately, he would end up hurt this postseason even before their first round series against the Celtics began. Thanks to his absence on the court, the Heat weren’t able to compete against Boston and lost to them in five games.

Miami Heat President Pat Riley Admonishes Jimmy Butler For Viral Boston Celtics Trolling

Right after the Heat were eliminated, a video of Butler claiming things would have been different if he was healthy went viral. In response, Pat Riley took issue with the Heat star’s take in an article written by Jack Maloney for CBS Sports:

“For him to say that, I thought, ‘is that Jimmy trolling? Or is that Jimmy serious?'” Riley said. “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,” Maloney wrote.

Butler is up for an extension this year and the Heat star is aiming for the max contract. It’s not yet known whether he’ll get it from Miami, settle for a lower offer, or sign up with a different team for next season.

Riley’s response may have affected Butler’s relationship with the franchise, especially with his extension coming up. In any case, these issues may hopefully be hashed out during the offseason between the two.