Jimmy Butler forced an exit from the Miami Heat.
On the same day, Jimmy Butler was preparing for the Western Conference semi-final game 2 with the Golden State Warriors.
Miami’s season ended abruptly after the team was wiped out in a 4-0 series defeat with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Heat fans blocked President Pat Riley from running the team. This season, his biggest decision came with his biggest decision to trade Jimmy Butler after an unacceptable situation.
The fever swapped him after hanging the butler three times in January. His performance on the court had no normal spark. After joining the Warriors, he quickly evaded their season and left happily to trade Golden State ownership with him.
Former NBA star Mychal Thompson played under coach Pat Riley of the Los Angeles Lakers in the late 1980s.
Speaking to CLNS Media, Thompson is truly convinced that the Miami Heat has made the right decision to say goodbye to Jimmy Butler.
Thompson points out that Butler was always fighting a losing battle by deciding to take Pat Riley publicly.
He explained:
“He doesn’t care who you are. You won’t go with the program. He’s going to drive you away.
“And there’s no discussion there as to their resume. You’re going to argue with Pat Riley. He’s like nine championship rings, so if you head across from Pat Riley, you’ll always lose that fight.”
The situation in Miami is clearly unresolved, so Thompson feels Riley has made every decision he can.
“They did the right thing. If you don’t go with Miami culture and programs or Pat Reilly’s rules, you have to go. He doesn’t care who you are.”
Riley’s old-school approach has been criticized by others, and it’s fair to argue that the president and star players are at odds and that the situation should never be allowed to deteriorate, not on the same page.
Mychal Thompson made a callback during his time with the Lakers while Jerry West was calling for shots behind the scenes.
He explained that West made it clear that he would not try to keep players against his will.
“I mean, Jerry West said that when I first joined you on Showtime, he told me, you’d let me know and I’d just drive you away.
“And if you don’t want to be in the particular place Jimmy Butler showed Miami, I like it.
“That’s when someone doesn’t want to be with you, whether it’s personal or business, in any relationship, and it’s time to say goodbye.”
The Heat fought to protect Butler before admitting defeat ahead of the trade deadline, but it was clear that this would not be possible.
The challenge then becomes whether they can find the right trading partner, and the heat package that headlined with Andrew Wiggins still feels overwhelming.