Now a member of the Golden State Warriors, Jimmy Butler is still reaping fodder from some for his behavior, leading to his grim exit from the Miami Heat organization. Even before Pat Riley managed the trade, Butler was under heavy scrutiny for how he handled himself while still with the Heat. His actions led to multiple suspensions and an image that came under fire from some of the NBA media’s largest personalities. All of this is old news now, as the Warriors are happy to have Butler in their ranks. However, some of the fodder is still falling. The latest comes from a former player and Hall of Famer, who shelled out his critique of how Butler handled the entire situation.
Warriors’ Jimmy Butler Reaps Rigid Critique From Hall of Famer
Former NBA Star Tim Hardaway Sr. Refers to Warriors’ Jimmy Butler As A “CryBaby”
‘You’re a crybaby,’ proclaims Tim Hardaway Sr. to Butler, who didn’t mince words in levying criticism to the player and the organization. Hardaway, a 13-year NBA Hall of Famer, knows something about the Miami Heat organization. He played there for several seasons in the late 90s and early 2000s. He was also on hand during Riley’s first days with the franchise, so he knows exactly how Riley operates as a leader. His history in Miami and playing for Riley perhaps gives Hardaway more weight to throw into the ring.
Hardaway recently sat down with Frank Isola for SiriusXM NBA Radio, where the subject came up, and the former 5x All-Star unloaded on Butler’s behavior but didn’t leave it there. He also pointed a finger at the Heat organization for allowing some of the things Butler got away with.
“I didn’t agree with what he was doing. You are under contract. You’re a baby. You’re a crybaby because they said no to you. We used to get no said to us all the time and we used to know how to take it. It is what it is. It’s a question. You get a yes or a no. You might not like the question but you can’t deviate and mess up the team.” Hardaway continued, “I fault them for letting him get away with a bunch of stuff too. You got to nip it in the bud. When he went after [Erik] Spoelstra, told [him] he’d kick his ____ at a timeout and they had to take another timeout because Udonis Haslem was circling around. That should have been like, ‘You’re getting three to five games. You don’t talk to the coach like that.”
“[Jimmy Butler’s] a baby. [He’s] a crybaby”
Heat and Warriors legend Tim Hardaway Sr. had some choice words for Jimmy Butler with @TheFrankIsola and @TermineRadio #HeatCulture pic.twitter.com/26QkHPiF0V
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 18, 2025
Player Empowerment Playing It’s Part
Butler’s unceremonious departure from South Beach bears a similar resemblance to James Harden‘s exit from the Houston Rockets in 2021. Of course, there was no substantial weight gain with Butler. Players demanding trades and not living up to contracts is part of the movement of player empowerment that continues to sting the league. Butler indeed invoked player empowerment in Miami. It came to the point where Riley had no choice but to trade him. Butler had backed him into a corner. Riley recently shared his opinions on player empowerment in a fantastic sit-down with Dan Le Batard on the Dan LeBatard Show. They discussed the impact and effects of the movement and how players’ behavior differs from when Riley was a coach in the 80s and 90s—a vastly different era of basketball.
Nevertheless, if more people want to continue talking about Butler and the Heat, that’s their prerogative. As for Butler, he’s fitting in just fine alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green in The Bay. The question is: How impactful will Butler’s addition aid them in the playoffs? Scepticism remains strong on Golden State’s chances in the postseason. Regardless, despite your feelings about Butler, seeing him play basketball again is relieving.
© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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