Inside The Heat

Tim Hardaway Says Miami Heat Have Evidence To Warrant Jimmy Butler Suspension

Shandel Richardson|
Jan 2, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) warms-up before the game against the Indiana Pacers at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Jan 2, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) warms-up before the game against the Indiana Pacers at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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The Miami Heat and Pat Riley caught a lot of flack when they suspended star Jimmy Butler for what they termed as "conduct detrimental to the team."

It prompted a complaint from the NBA Player's Association but former Heat great Tim Hardaway says the organization has proof the action was warranted.

Hardaway revealed the news during an interview Saturday with SiriusXM NBA Radio.

"Pat's got a 10-page letter to the Player's Association," Hardaway said. "And he's going to have film showing him why he suspended this man before that even happened."

The Heat suspended Butler for seven games earlier this month. It occurred shortly after the team agreed to meet Butler's demand for a trade.

Hardaway made his stance clear: He sides with Riley.

Hardaway said Butler is being disrespectful by refusing to accept the Heat's contract offer.

"You don't disrespect authority and that's what Jimmy Butler has been doing, Hardaway said. "I'll tell you this: this boat is going to sail on top of the water as long as Pat Riley is there. Jimmy Butler is trying to sink that ship. That ship is not gonna sink. I'm all with Pat Riley. You're under contract, you play uunder this contract and see where all the chips may fall. You can opt into $52 million next year that you say you're not going to opt in. It's mind-boggling to me. How you gonna opt out of $52 million?"

Hardaway reiterated Butler is in the wrong.

"These guys can't take rejection," Hardaway said. "These guys can't take rejection. If you can't take rejection because everything has been saying, `yes, yes, yes' to you, now you're upset and the world is coming to an end, I can't play because he's going to give me the money I want."'

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here