Jimmy Butler has had a lot of free time on his hands since his injury in mid-April. While he waited for his turn to get back on the court, the Heat guard kept the entertainment going for fans with his social media antics. Even when his team ended up losing to the Celtics in round one, that didn’t stop him from talking trash about other teams. It seems like his fun time is over as Pat Riley recently issued a stern warning to his player.
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The 34-year-old first trolled the Celtics when his team won their first game of the first-round series. He photoshopped his face on Jaylen Brown’s body and referenced his quote, “Don’t let us get one” from last year’s postseason to mock the Celtics star.
For this, he went viral on the internet among fans who loved the witty side of him. But when the team got kicked out, Butler doubled down on the respect towards his competition, but it backfired and ticked people off.
In a clip uploaded by ‘Ahn Fire Digital’, Butler was heard saying, “If I was playing, Boston would be at home, New York damn sure would be at home. Josh Hart? C’mon man.” The fans believed that this time he took it too far and ridiculed him for being immature.
Now, even the Heat president has offered a blunt assessment of his behavior. Riley said,
“For him to say that, I thought, ‘Is that Jimmy trolling, or is that Jimmy serious’… If you’re not on the court playing, you should keep your mouth shut.”
“For him to say that, I thought, ‘Is that Jimmy [Butler] trolling, or is that Jimmy serious’… If you’re not on the court playing, you should keep your mouth shut.”
Pat Riley on Jimmy saying Boston would’ve lost if he played 👀
(via @ZachWeinberger) pic.twitter.com/aKReJ6c700
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 6, 2024
It’s not that taking digs isn’t allowed in the NBA, but it is usually during a game. On top of it, the Heat was defeated by the same Celtics he’s trying to belittle. Now if such a warning came from his camp, imagine the onslaught the opposition has to offer.
Tom Thibodeau torches Jimmy Butler for his comments
Butler was criticized for being immature by many, including the biggest name in his camp. Moreover, fans did not take it easy, and neither did the Knicks head coach. Tom Thibodeau was also asked about Butler’s over-confidence.
Tom Thibodeau on Jimmy Butler:
“Who.”
Jimmy Butler.
Smiles.
“I don’t know him. But I’ll beat him to a pulp.”
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) May 5, 2024
According to Stefan Bondy, he initially failed to recognize who Butler is, after that, Thibodeau said, “I don’t know him. But I’ll beat him to a pulp” with a smile on his face. This should be a lesson for him that when people put in the hard work every day, they don’t expect to be belittled by someone who isn’t even competing.
