After so much drama leading into the regular-season game between the Golden State Warriors and the Miami Heat, Jimmy Butler was finally able to make his return to his former stomping ground on Tuesday night.
This was the six-time All-Star’s first time back in South Beach after his mid-season blockbuster trade to the Warriors, and the Heat organization decided to show their appreciation to Butler by giving him a tribute video.
The home fans at Kaseya Center, however, weren’t exactly thrilled with Butler’s return, and they made their feelings about it known.
Butler was met with a mix of cheers and boos as his Heat tribute video was shown on the jumbotron.
It is clear that more than a few Heat fans are still feeling salty about Butler’s ugly divorce from the team. The five-time All-NBA forward pretty much forced his way out of Miami after a dispute over his contract — among other things — which ultimately led to his trade to Golden State.
The Heat faithful do not easily forget, and there’s no denying that the wounds of Butler’s untoward exit remain fresh for most of them.
On social media, however, Miami fans are now facing backlash for the way they reacted to Butler’s tribute video. While some users believe that Butler does deserve the boos he’s getting from his former fans, others are adamant that the jeering was uncalled for.
“Ungrateful. He carried yall nearly to a finals win,” a comment on X read.
“Classic example of ‘moving on,'” said another.
“Bruh Jimmy is literally the only reason they made the finals twice. And Bam helped you gotta show the man respect,” demanded a user.
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22).© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
“Guy’s a legend for taking them to two Finals, but that messy exit left some fans salty 
” pointed out a basketball fan.
“bro kept that team competitive. Now look at them,” wrote another.
“classy heat fans booing one of the best players in their franchise history,” a user criticized.
Butler spent the last five and a half seasons of his career with the Heat. During that span, he led the team to two trips to the NBA Finals.
It’s hard to deny that Butler did great things during his stint in South Beach, but it is also clear that fans have decided to overlook this and instead focus on the way he left the team.
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