Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler is used to speaking his mind on any subject.
Well, so is Heat team president Pat Riley.
In his yearly offseason press conference, Riley responded to Butler’s comments about how things would have been differently if he were healthy in the playoffs. The Heat lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
“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.”
Butler was injured in the first quarter of the Heat’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers last month in the Play-In Tournament. He struggled the remaining three quarters, leading the Heat to a loss.
If they won, the Heat would have played the Knicks in the first round. The Knicks are coached by Tom Thibodeau, who was Butler’s coach when he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2011. Instead, the Heat played the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Butler said he felt the Heat would have defeated the Knicks in the first round if it would have happened.
“New York damn sure would be at home,” Butler said in a video posted on social media. “I love Tibs but I don’t want Tibs. I love you baby but I want to 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.”
Butler also discussed what would’ve happened if he were healthy to face the Celtics.
“If I was playing, Boston would be at home,” Butler said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After making the NBA Finals last year, the Heat were eliminated by the Celtics in the first round because of injuries to Terry Rozier and Butler. The Heat played the Celtics in the conference finals the past two years.
