Warriors star Jimmy Butler's 'appreciative' reflection on Heat stint after Miami return

Jimmy Butler’s first return to Kaseya Center since he received his much-desired trade away from the Miami Heat did not go according to plan. Butler and the Golden State Warriors were blown out, 112-86, as they struggled to get much of anything going as they navigated Stephen Curry’s absence due to injury. And considering how poorly Butler’s Heat tenure ended, this must give the Heat brass some feelings of vindication considering how badly Butler burned his bridges with the organization.Butler has played off this homecoming in South Beach nonchalantly, and the Heat fans in attendance responded in kind by booing him. But after the Warriors’ defeat, the 35-year-old star forward had something good to say about his time with the Heat, reflecting on it with an appreciative take.“I love this city, the fanbase here. Video [tribute] was nice,” Butler said. “It took me back to some good times when I was wearing a Miami Heat jersey. I’m very appreciative of that time, to help 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. I don’t think I could be who I am today without my opportunity here, I’ll tell you that,” Butler said, via Will Manso of WPLG Local 10 News.Indeed, Butler’s legend grew during his time with the Heat; he became known as Playoff Jimmy when he led the team to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023 even though not too many people expected that they can make it that far in the postseason given the roster that they had.

However, Butler and the Heat did not see eye to eye in contract negotiations and they found that it was best for them to go their separate ways. And Butler is certainly relishing the opportunity that he has with the Warriors moving forward.

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Warriors benefit from Jimmy Butler’s Heat crashout

Warriors star Jimmy Butler's 'appreciative' reflection on Heat stint after Miami return — John Hefti-Imagn Images

When Jimmy Butler doesn’t get what he wants, there is a tendency for him to kick up a fuss, which was what he did to end his stint with the Heat. He got himself suspended multiple times and almost sandbagged at times as he begged for a trade out of the franchise.

This paved the way for the Warriors to get Butler via trade at a discounted price, and when healthy, Golden State has shown that they can once again be a terrifying team to face.