Jimmy Butler’s return to Miami draws mix of cheers, boos from crowd

MIAMI — Heat coach Erik Spoelstra cracked a joke, asking if his pregame press conference Tuesday night was full of media members because the Heat were on a one-game winning streak.

No, it was not because Miami snapped its 10-game skid. It was for the awkward reunion between Spoelstra’s team and estranged superstar Jimmy Butler, who the Heat dealt to the visiting Golden State Warriors after a highly publicized dispute between Butler and the front office, which suspended Butler three times before trading him.

“Obviously, there’s a great storyline for everybody out there,” Spoelstra said. “We’re trying to focus on everything we’ve been dealing with for the last three weeks. I think all the emotions were late December, early January, to be frank. They’re trying to do what they’re trying to do. This is the NBA, so there’s a lot of things that’ll happen. There’s a lot of change in the NBA. I think we’re pretty far removed from that kind of emotion.”

The Heat are not about to give Butler a statue outside the Kaseya Center, but they did honor Butler’s Miami tenure with a tribute video before the game.

Kevin Love was shown hugging his former teammate on TV, but the reception from the crowd was frostier. The Heat played a short tribute video, which featured Butler’s highlights during his Heat years, before he was introduced to a mix of cheers and boos.

“It took me back some good times when I was wearing a Miami Heat jersey,” Butler said. “I’m very appreciative of those times. They helped me become the player that I am in this league, the individual that I am in this league, the teammate, the leader. All of those things.”

Fans booed him whenever he touched the ball, though Butler accepted that fans in Miami might not feel like cheering him.

“It’s going to happen plenty of places,” Butler said. “I guess it’s going to happen here now, too. You get used to it.”

Butler got off to a slow start, ending his return to Miami with 11 points and six rebounds in the Warriors’ loss. Heat captain Bam Adebayo, who played defense against Butler Tuesday night, had an early dunk past his former teammate.

Although Butler received a tribute video, he and Heat president Pat Riley do not appear to be on great terms. TNT’s Taylor Rooks said Butler told her he had “nothing to say to Pat.”

“And Pat better have nothing to say to me,” Butler told Rooks.

The two franchises have been on opposite paths since the trade. Golden State is 16-6 since the trade, and the Warriors are in sixth place in the Western Conference. Miami is 6-17 since dealing Butler and in the mix for the play-in round to see whether they can advance to the postseason.

“He fits stylistically because he’s kind of an opposite of (Steph) Curry,” Spoelstra said. “But his IQ and his competitive spirit fits with their philosophy. He always finds a way to be an add-on value one way or the other.”

All told, Spoelstra said he will remember Butler’s time with the Heat well.

“That was a pretty long chapter,” Spoelstra said. There were a lot of different highs and lows with that. But I’ll look back on it fondly.”

“Those were extraordinary times,” he added.

The Jimmy Butler intro video as he’s met with.…well, you decide pic.twitter.com/f1jBrosk97

— jeremy taché (@jeremytache) March 25, 2025