Miami Heat great makes big claim about Jimmy Butler-Pat Riley relationship

Dec 16, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) dribbles the ball up the court against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

With Jimmy Butler about to enter his final season under contract with the Miami Heat, the tea leaves may be trending towards an inevitable split.

Retired Heat great Tim Hardaway appeared this week on an episode of the “ALL THE SMOKE” podcast. During the episode, Hardaway claimed that Heat president Pat Riley is “tired of Jimmy Butler.”

“I said, I told some people, I said, ‘Pat gonna talk this year,'” said Hardaway. “He’s tired of a lot of things that’s going on with the team. He’s tired of Jimmy Butler.”

You can see the full clip below.

Butler, 35, has been the face of the Heat for the last several years, playing his way into forever immortality with the team after leading them to improbable NBA Finals runs in both 2020 and 2023. But signs of a potentially fraying relationship with Riley have indeed emerged, especially in light of some comments Butler made after Miami’s season ended that Riley was not particularly pleased with .

Riley, now 79, has been president of the Heat since 1995 (coinciding with Hardaway’s run there from 1996-2001). He is known for running a tight ship, which has often put him at odds with the franchise’s superstars. Riley had issues with Shaquille O’Neal leading to O’Neal’s eventual trade in 2008, he had a fractured relationship with Heat icon Dwyane Wade that led to Wade’s stunning departure in 2016, and he had an ongoing feud with LeBron James for many years after James left Miami in 2014.

It is unclear if Butler, certainly a strong personality himself, will be the next Miami star to join that list. But he may already have a destination in mind if he ultimately does decide to leave Riley and the Heat.

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