Kofi Inkoom
As long as the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat remain in the East, the rivalry between the two will inevitably spark banter, fun, and other interactions, given their history.
However, Miami Heat president Pat Riley expressed dissatisfaction with Jimmy Butler’s recent controversial comments regarding the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks.
Butler, sidelined by an MCL injury, observed as the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in five games, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
In an interview with Rock The Bells after the first-round series, Butler took shots at both Boston and the New York Knicks, stating,
“If I was playing, Boston would be at home. New York damn sure would be (expletive) at home.”
Jimmy Butler when asked how the Miami Heat would do if he was healthy:
“If I was playing, Boston would be at home, New York, damn sure would be at home. Josh Hart? C’mon man.” pic.twitter.com/g1DLLCHxSG
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) May 4, 2024
Riley, addressing Butler’s comments on Monday during his end-of-season press conference, expressed his disapproval, saying,
“For him to say that, I thought, ‘Is that Jimmy trolling, or is that Jimmy serious?’ 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.”
Pat Riley on Jimmy Butler’s comments that the Heat would’ve won over Boston if he were healthy… “you should keep your mouth shut” pic.twitter.com/K1K3RVo0lt
— WPLG Local 10 Sports (@Local10Sports) May 6, 2024
Butler’s outspoken post-series remarks may have exacerbated tensions. Despite not playing, the six-time All-Star trolled the Celtics throughout the series, posting on social media after Miami’s Game 2 victory and guaranteeing a win during Game 3, which the Celtics ultimately won convincingly.
While Butler’s confidence in his ability to lead his team in the playoffs is understandable, his comments provided motivation for the Celtics, the top regular-season team in the league.
The Celtics are set to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs as they pursue a ring this season, aiming to overcome last season’s loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.