Boos and cheers welcome Jimmy Butler back to Miami as his standoff with Pat Riley continues

Fans and media were waiting to see Jimmy Butler's return to face the Miami Heat as a Golden State Warriors star.

Boos and cheers welcome Jimmy Butler back to Miami as his standoff with Pat Riley continues

Jimmy Butler returned to Miami Heat as a Golden State Warriors star

Jimmy Butler left the Miami Heat under a lot of negative narratives circulating both him and the franchise. More than one and a half months later, he returns to the organization that he led to the NBA Finals. Now as a Golden State Warriors player, he will look help to resume their recent winning streak.

For days leading up to this game, reporters kept on asking both Butler as well as Heat players and staff about the importance of this game. Some believed the superstar will be out for revenge after how they seemingly jettisoned him despite all he did for them.

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At the same time, Miami Heat fans wanted their team to respond. They wanted the franchise to remind Jimmy Butler what he left behind. Before to the game, the 35-year-old had made it clear that he did have a good relationship with Heat fans and players.

However, he did not have the same opinion towards Pat Riley. The Godfather did not appreciate the way his former player handled that exit, even suspending him multiple games to enforce his authority. That seems to have left a bad taste in his mouth as he said this to Taylor Rooks during warmup.

I have nothing to say to Pat, and Pat better have nothing to say to me.

Jimmy Butler said

This goes on to show that the six-time All-Star does not appreciate how Pat Riley ended Butler’s tenure. He knows Riley and media had seemingly painted him the villain and that could have an impact on how fans, especially those in Florida see him.

Heat fans reveal their opinion of their former superstar

When Jimmy Butler was in Miami, he was the biggest superstar in the city. His stardom even beat out fellow superstars from other major sporting teams from the city. Heading into this game, many had expected the Heat to broadcast a tribute video, considering that is the tradition.

The moment the tribute video started a rain of boos filled the Arena. Then as the video continued, some of the boos turned into cheers. After the video was over, the Kaseya Center PA announcer introduced Butler into the game. But the cheers were not as loud as he might have expected.

Jimmy Butler has talked about how the entire discourse surrounding his exit has been squarely placed on his shoulders. He has always been labelled a villain, and this time it was no different. Many members of the media and fans have called out his apparent selfish needs.

But every time he moves on, his former team instantly struggles. At the same time, his new team goes on a winning streak that continues to prove, he was worth a lot more than what the previous franchise thought of him.

Butler was suspended the last time Heat and Warriors played

The last time, the Miami Heat squared off against the Golden State Warriors, it was on January 8th this year. This game was a part their road trip in January. It was also the same time when Pat Riley first suspended Jimmy Butler for seven games.

At the time, Riley and the Heat deemed their star players words and actions as being detrimental to the team. Through the players union, Butler appealed the suspension as he was facing nearly $2.3 million in lost earnings.

While he was sitting back at home in Miami, his teammates went into the Bay Area knowing the Warriors were struggling. They took advantage of that and mounted a late rally to beat them 114-98. That loss and their wretched mid-season form were the reasons behind the Warriors desire to bring in another superstar.