Tuesday night marked a bittersweet — and somewhat tense — reunion between Jimmy Butler and his former. After being traded from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors last month, Butler returned to South Florida for his first game back in the Kaseya Center since his departure.
In the end, the Heat came away with the last laugh en route to a resounding 112-86 win that saw Butler held to just 11 points in 29 minutes. Prior to the game itself, Miami honored its former franchise cornerstone with a video tribute of his best moments as a Heatle. As Butler stood from the Golden State bench to acknowledge the crowd, he was met with a mix of applause and boos from across the arena.
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After the game, however, Butler clarified his feelings — or lack thereof — towards the tribute and reception from the crowd.
Mar 8, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) warms up before the game against the Detroit Pistons at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images© David Gonzales-Imagn Images
“Like I always say, I’ve got a lot of love for the city, for the fanbase here,” he said. “The video was nice. I won’t say there was a lot of emotions, though… We wanted to win the game, but it didn’t go the way we planned.”
The six-time All-Star’s remarks came after he was seen leaving the court without greeting any of his ex-teammates following the loss. Following a dramatic months-long saga that preceded Butler’s departure from Miami, it would appear that the wounds between both parties have yet to fully heal.
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After leading the Heat to a pair of NBA Finals appearances in 2020 and 2023, Butler received three separate suspensions from the team this season for “detrimental conduct.” Shortly after the first suspension, Butler publicly demanded a trade, which materialized weeks later into his landing with the Warriors.
Since then, Miami has floundered without its franchise star to keep things in check. The Heat dropped 10 games in a row before snapping their longest losing skid of the Erik Spoelstra era against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday — just in time for Butler’s return two days later.
Meanwhile, the 35-year-old wing has found his seemingly footing with the Warriors, but Tuesday’s loss could throw a wrench in Golden State’s momentum with the playoffs right around the corner. The 41-31 Warriors currently sit at sixth place in the Western Conference, while the Heat check in at 31-41 — good for 10th in the East and a do-or-die play-in slot.
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