Two-Time NBA Champion Takes Shot At Miami Heat Over Jimmy Butler Situation

Shandel Richardson | Jan 4, 2025

Jan 2, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) warms-up before the game against the Indiana Pacers at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Former NBA player Vernon Maxwell took a second shot against the Miami Heat within a week.

On Friday, Maxwell gave his take on the Heat's handling of the Jimmy Butler contract extension. Maxwell said the Heat are in the wrong. He even brought up LeBron James leaving Miami to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Here's what Maxwell posted on X: "I completely understand now why Lebron would leave Miami to go back to Cleveland (of all places) and now Jimmy Butler wants out. There is a special kind of stupid in the water out there."

I completely understand now why Lebron would leave Miami to go back to Cleveland (of all places) and now Jimmy Butler wants out. There is a special kind of stupid in the water out there.

— Vernon Maxwell (@VernonMaxwell11) January 3, 2025

A day after requesting a trade, Butler was suspended for seven games by the organization. The Heat said it was due to conduct detrimental to the team. It was Maxwell's second time chiming in on the Heat. Earlier, he praised Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson for throwing Miami guard Tyler Herro to the ground during a late-game scuffle.

Maxwell, who was nicknamed Mad Max during his playing days, loved it.

Here's what he posted on X: "I love me some Amen Thompson. Put his fine on my tab Rockets. And I’ll take care of anyone else’s fine that stands up for their Rockets teammates."

The reaction from Maxwell was expected. He was known for his fiery temper when he played with teams that included the Rockets and San Antonio Spurs from 1988-2001. He once confronted a fan in the stands for heckling. He suspended 10 games and fined $20,000 for the incident. The NBA has yet to hand out punishment for the Herro-Thompson dust-up that also caused Rockets coach Ime Udoka and Jalen Brown to get suspended.

"I love it!!," Maxwell wrote in another post. "Amen teach me some jiu jitsu young fella!"

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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