Sports

Pat Riley Tells Jimmy Butler To Keep His ‘Mouth Shut’ While Ripping Almost The Entire Heat Roster

#Jimmy Butler
by Last Updated
pat riley and jimmy butler

Getty Image


Miami Heat President and NBA legend Pat Riley isn’t happened with how his team’s season ended, to say the least.

During a fiery end-of-season press conference, the 79-year-old Riley ripped into virtually the entirety of the Heat’s roster, including star forward Jimmy Butler.

Speaking to the media on Monday, May 6, Riley told Butler that he should “keep his mouth shut” after Butler was filmed saying that the Heat would’ve beaten the Celtics if they were healthy.

“Video this, 1, 2, 3 action,” Butler said in a video shared by a Twitter account called Rock The Bells. “If I was playing, Boston would be at home, New York would damn sure would f—ing be at home. Josh Hart? Come on man. I love [Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau]. Thibs, I love you baby, but I want to beat you to a pulp.”

Butler’s comments clearly frustrated Riley as the iconic coach and executive told Butler to keep his mouth shut, especially because he wasn’t able to play in the series.

“For him to say that, I thought, ‘is that Jimmy trolling? Or is that Jimmy serious?'” Riley told reporters. “If you’re not on the court playing against Boston, or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut.”

Riley also seemed to suggest that Butler’s injuries were going to play a factor in whether or not the Heat offer him a contract extension.

Butler wasn’t the only member of the Miami Heat to catch, well, heat from Pat Riley, as he also took aim at Tyler Herro and his injury record.

“He’s been fragile… Maybe someday he will surprise everyone and play every game,” Riley said of Herro.

Even Udonis Haslem, who no longer plays for the Heat after 20 seasons with the team and now works as the organization’s Vice President of Basketball Development, caught a stray from Riley, who took issue with Haslem speaking to the media about Herro’s role with the team.

Butler, who will be 35 years old before the start of next season, is reportedly seeking a max contract extension that would be for two-year and pay him around $113 million.