Jimmy Butler Had Some Vicious Trash Talk for T.J. Warren After Their Scrap

In Thursday’s Hot Clicks: Jimmy Butler shows why you don’t mess with him, a wild Venezuelan baseball brawl and more.

“The kid’s soft. He’s soft.”

Jimmy Butler might be the NBA player you should least want to mess with. There are bigger, stronger guys in the league but no one has the sheer tenacity of Butler. 

Someone tell that to T.J. Warren.

During last night’s Heat-Pacers game, Butler was able to bait Warren into an ejection by getting under his skin and getting him to pick up two quick technicals. 

The first came after Butler breezed by Warren and Warren grabbed him to prevent an easy basket. The two butted heads before they were quickly separated by an official and Butler walked away yelling, “You’re f---ing trash.”

The second came on the very next play, when Butler fouled Warren but Warren was the one issued a second T for something he said to Butler. 

Whatever Warren said must have been pretty offensive to earn an immediate technical like that. Butler said after the game that it was “truly disrespectful.” 

But Butler decided to respond by disrespecting Warren himself with some pretty spectacular trash talk, which was made all the more vicious by his level-headed delivery. It wasn’t like Butler was trying to bluster. He was just saying it’s a shame Warren is such a punk. 

“To me, I think it’s tough for him because I can guard him and he can’t guard me,” Butler said. “But like I said, I think you just gotta watch your mouth in certain situations. There’s some s--- that you just don’t say as a man. He’s gotta see me the next time, because I feel like what he said was truly disrespectful. And it’s all good because we see them again. I ain’t scared of nobody.”

Indeed, these two teams do see each other again, but not until March 20. Even though it’s a long way away, Butler still has the date literally circled on his calendar. 

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When they do square off in Indianapolis in the spring, Butler has some friendly advice for Pacers coach Nate McMillan. 

“The kid’s soft. He’s soft,” Butler said. “He’s not even in my f---ing league. Like, nowhere near me. If I was their coach I would never put him on me, ever again. Put somebody else on me, because I’m gonna tear that s--- up every time.

He hit him with the bat!

That’s former Diamondbacks outfielder Alex Romero going after Gabriel Lino in Venezuelan winter league action. Six players were ejected in the ensuing brawl. 

The obvious parallel here is the time former MLB player Jose Offerman charged the mound and attacked a pitcher with his bat in an Atlantic League game. At least it makes more sense that Offerman was going after the guy who threw the pitch, though. I don’t know what Romero’s beef with the catcher was.

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