With the NBA‘s February 6 trade deadline fast approaching, Jimmy Butler finds himself at a critical crossroads in his career. Amid ongoing conflict with the Miami Heat, he is awaiting a deal that could reshape his future. In this context, Kevin Garnett, a former NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, has delivered a pointed critique of Butler’s recent behavior.
“When you step out of being professional, and then you step out of not to your oath, and holding up your end of the bargain, bro you’re opening it up for all this right here,” Garnett said on the Ticket and the Truth podcast with Paul Pierce. “This is how non-guarantees are going to come into our league for (expletive) like this.”
KG went on to reflect on past battles that players fought to protect their rights. “We (expletive) fought our (expletive) off through five and six (expletive) lockouts to get to the point where we protect the integrity of the talent,” he explained. “Then that talent has a responsibility to be professional and come in here and do your (expletive) job.”
Expanding on his criticism, Garnett pointed out that Butler’s behavior isn’t unprecedented. “I know every time he wasn’t happy… in Philly he did something similar, in Minnesota he did something similar,” he recalled. “So, him not getting a deal is (expletive) with his love. If you’re signing that or if you’re bringing that in, you gotta take that into account. That if bro don’t get his way, this is the disruption in here.”
Kevin Garnett attends the “Cinnamon” premiere during the 2023 Tribeca Festival at SVA Theatre on June 11, 2023 in New York City.
Garnett believes Butler chose the wrong path
Kevin Garnett also reflected on his own experiences with past NBA disputes, drawing comparisons to Butler’s situation with Heat president Pat Riley. “You think I like Glen Taylor (Minnesota Timberwolves majority owner), you think I liked that mother (expletive), nah,” KG said. “Do you think Paul liked Wyc (Wyc Grousbeck, Boston Celtics majority owner) at one point when they weren’t seeing eye to eye?”
However, Garnett emphasized a key difference in how he and his peers handled adversity. “We came in and did our (expletive) jobs, got paid, and you went home,” he explained. “As soon as you get an opportunity to change that, you change it. But I’m not gonna come here make a mockery. One, be a distraction to the other guys in here because, bro, that’s what you’re doing.”
The conflict with Butler hurts the Heat, says Pierce
In the same conversation, Paul Pierce weighed in on the conflict between Butler and the Miami Heat, criticizing the team’s handling of the situation. “They messed up the whole situation,” Pierce said. “Once you suspended him the first time, you should have said, ‘All right, just stay until we find a spot for you.’ Don’t bring him back, and then suspend him again, bring him back… Come on. It’s a disruption to the team.”
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Pierce also commented on Butler’s recent struggles, noting that once a player loses passion for the game, the situation becomes untenable. “I know he’s got an obligation to play and he’s got a check that he’s given. But once it gets to a certain point, when he says ‘I lost love for the game,’ at that point, I knew it was over in Miami,” Pierce explained. “It’s no coming back from that.”
