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NBA Champion Criticizes Pat Riley for Publicly Pushing Out Jimmy Butler and Other Heat Stars

Sameen Nawathe
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Pat Riley (L), Jimmy Butler (R)

Pat Riley is notorious for pushing superstars out of Miami, but Jimmy Butler’s instant impact on the Golden State Warriors has placed a magnifying glass on the Heat president. He’s evicted a lot of players over the years, and one of them has finally spoken about it. Antoine Walker, who was forced from South Beach way back in 2007, took to Run It Back to call Riley out.

Walker talked about how Riley’s fallouts with star players always end up going public and criticized his former coach for his inability to keep things private in such situations.

“One thing about Pat, you’ll notice this,” he said. “When he’s done with you, he does it publicly.”

The former power forward further criticized Riley’s decision making when it came to Jimmy Butler and said he didn’t agree with the fines Butler was handed in his last month with Miami. He claimed such acts only painted the six-time All-Star in a bad light.

Walker then mentioned his relief at seeing Jimmy thriving in Golden State. “I’m so happy Jimmy is playing well in Golden State and kind of turned their season around,” he added.

Of course, Butler’s presence in Oakland has been nothing short of revolutionary. They’re 14-2 since the addition and have suddenly found themselves competing for playoff spots.

Meanwhile, the Miami Heat have been slowly declining without their All-NBA wing. In stark contrast to Butler’s new team, the Heat are 4-12 since shipping Jimmy out, with the lack of a clear leader detrimental to their game.

Bam Adebayo has been unable to lead the way Butler did, and Tyler Herro has not been able to rekindle his All-Star form. Andrew Wiggins, who they got back in the trade for Butler, has failed to recapture the heights he reached during the Warriors’ 2022 title run.

The Heat are on a seven-game losing streak right now and seem all but done this season. While they are still in a play-in position, their squad seems defeated, and there is very little chance they’ll make it through two games to enter the playoffs come May.

About the author

Sameen Nawathe

Sameen Nawathe

Sameen Nawathe is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Drawing from his extensive background in editing his university publications, Sameen brings a distinguished level of professionalism and editorial acumen to his position. With over a decade of practical sporting knowledge, he adeptly curates a spectrum of content, ranging from foundational sports highlights to insightful analysis of potential NBA trades. Sameen's passion for basketball ignited with LeBron James, whom he credits for sparking his love for the game. He fondly reminisces about James' 2018 season, which he often describes as "the best display of pure hoops we've ever seen". When he's not immersed in the world of writing or playing basketball, Sameen can be found enjoying Taylor Swift's music or passionately supporting Manchester United during soccer matches.

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