After Offering to Retire Shaquille O’Neal’s Jersey Instead of Michael Jordan’s, Pat Riley Promised Jimmy Butler MJ’s Number 23

In a recent Instagram video, Jimmy Butler revealed that he had been offered Michael Jordan’s number 23 by Pat Riley. Heat had retired MJ’s number 23 even though he never played for the franchise. Previously speaking on Shaq Uncut, Shaquille O’Neal had claimed that Riley had made him the same offer when he was about to join the Miami Heat, back in 2004. Is there a ploy from Riley here?

Anyway, O’Neal ended up refusing and chose the number 32 instead. The same is true for Jimmy Butler, who signed for the Miami Heat back in July 2019. He also refused to wear the jersey number out of respect for Michael Jordan.

Jimmy Butler reveals a hilarious story about Michael Jordan’s Miami Heat jersey

Michael Jordan’s number 23 jersey was the first one that was ever retired by the Miami Heat. This was even though MJ never played for the team.

"You can't wear 23 here because of MJ. Literally, Pat Riley retired it… Whenever I did come here, Pat told me that I could wear 23 but I said no. So 22 it is."

Jimmy Butler on his jersey number for the Heat

(via @JimmyButler/ IG)pic.twitter.com/WTsXd0KW6G

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 14, 2023

Regardless, it appears as though Jimmy Butler had the opportunity of taking the number 23. However, out of respect for Michael Jordan, he ended up choosing number 22 instead. Currently starring for the Heat in the NBA Playoffs, Butler revealed the following:

“You can’t wear 23 here because of MJ. Literally, Pat Riley retired it, but I will say this. Whenever I did come here, Pat told me that I could wear 23 but I said no. So 22 it is.”

Pat Riley offered to take down Michael Jordan’s retired jersey number twice

Shaquille O’Neal had also once claimed that Pat Riley offered to take down Michael Jordan’s retired jersey number for him. The offer was slightly different from that one given to Jimmy Butler. Riley had told O’Neal that his 32 number will become the first to be retired by the Heat. That obviously never happened!

However, since then, the Heat have retired multiple jersey numbers. This includes Dwyane Wade’s number 3, Alonzo Mourning’s number 33, and the number 1 jersey which was worn by Chris Bosh. O’Neal claimed the following:

“I can still hear Pat telling me, I’m going to take down that 6th Man Michael Jordan jersey we have up in our rafters and put your number 32 uniform in its place. You have done so much for this franchise. Your jersey will be the first one up there, the first one ever retired by the Heat.”

Regardless, the two offers might just be simple ploys from Riley to convince two huge superstars to join the Miami Heat. Considering both players ended up making the move, the ploy was highly successful.