Jimmy Butler Makes No Mention Of Pat Riley In Extensive Interview

Shandel Richardson | Mar 24, 2025

Mar 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) drives on Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler is set to make his return Tuesday to face the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center.

It appears Butler is fully moved on from his nearly six-season tenure with the Heat. He recently sat down with The Athletic for an extensive interview. He never mentioned Heat team president Pat Riley.

The article said, "Butler didn’t mention Heat president Pat Riley once in the 30-minute sitdown, but there’s little question that his split with the team stemmed from a deteriorated relationship with the Heat’s ultimate decision-maker in relation to the roster the Heat built — the title-level help Butler felt he didn’t receive — and, perhaps most damaging, Riley’s hands-on approach to everyday operations."

Butler and Riley were at odds the past year, which led to his departure despite leading the Heat to the 2023 NBA Finals. He did discuss his thoughts on the organization.

“There was some foundation to it in the sense of the work and all that stuff, which is great,” Butler said last week. “I’m not saying it in a bad way, but I think it’s a little bit, like, overused talking about the ‘Heat Culture.’ It is a great organization. But I think a large part of that culture is you get guys that buy into a (winning mindset). You get some guys that buy in, you get some really good players and you get the opportunity to talk about ‘Heat Culture’ a little bit more. I’’m not saying it to talk down or anything, but I think whenever you have really good players you can name it whatever you want to name it.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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