On Tuesday night, the Golden State Warriors got dominated by the Miami Heat, losing 112-86 in South Beach. It marked Jimmy Butler’s first return to Miami since demanding a trade earlier this season, and the reaction, predictably, was mixed.
Some fans were rightfully upset about the way his tenure ended and greeted him with jeers and boos, other preferred to remember the two Finals appearances he led the Heat to. Both reactions were totally understandable, but one expert analyst thought the cheers were unnecessary.
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III and Miami Heat guard Alec Burks.© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
“I have to be careful how I say this since I have to fly home to Florida, and I want them to allow me in the state,” prefaced ESPN’s Bobby Marks. I was embarrassed watching that and looking what the Heat fans did. To give a man who quit on you, he quit on them because he didn’t get paid by the Miami Heat, and I know he took them to two NBA Finals and everything he did was great for you, but to give that man a standing ovation, that bothered me dearly.”
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Granted, Heat fans may be tired of Butler and his antics, but it seems like the growing sentiment in Miami is that fans are equally tired of Pat Riley’s “my way or the highway” leadership style that has run player after player out of town.
Of course, Riley has played a role in three titles and seven Finals appearances, so his mindset clearly works, but it’s no surprise that Butler’s reception garnered a mixed reaction.
Related: Draymond Green Reveals What Warriors Must Do After Two Straight Losses
Butler scored only 11 points in his first game back, and the Warriors are barely hanging onto the sixth seed in the West.
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