After Jimmy Butler III was traded to the Golden State Warriors from the Miami Heat, the NBA community is still trying to understand what went wrong between Butler and Heat President Pat Riley. After all, Butler joining the Heat established the team as a legitimate title contender that made two NBA Finals appearances.
During a recent interview, Butler spoke about his departure from the Miami Heat and inadvertently attacked their famous “Heat Culture.” This generated quite a lot of responses from fans across the world.
Carlos Boozer, a former NBA star who played alongside Butler during his time with the Chicago Bulls, shared his stance on this subtle feud between his former teammate and Riley in a podcast.
Carlos Boozer Supports Jimmy Butler and Holds Pat Riley Accountable for “Heat Culture”
Fans might not know that Riley began as an NBA star. He spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, transitioned to coaching, and entered management with the storied organization.
Boozer opined that Riley began the notion of Heat Culture based on his practices during his career with the Lakers and that he was entirely responsible for it.
“He (Butler) wasn’t wrong with what he said. It does take players to win championships. But 100 percent, the Heat Culture is Pat Riley; he brought that in. He was a Los Angeles Laker with Magic Johnson and Kareem. Pat brought that same structure that Stephen A. talked about to the Heat. You had to have structure from the top to the bottom. You make sure everybody is in shape. They make sure the guys are in condition.”
“[Jimmy Butler] wasn’t wrong with what he said. It does take players to win championships. 👀 @MisterCBooz on Jimmy Butler saying the term “Heat Culture” is “a little bit overused.” 😳 pic.twitter.com/0QChf1QS2Y
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 25, 2025
Boozer also mentioned that getting talented players onto their team helped the Heat. He explained, “You have to have the players to win. They had Dwyane Wade, they had Shaquille O’Neal, and a bunch of other guys. They won a championship in 06. They came back, they had LeBron and the Big Three, and won more championships. You gotta have the guys, but the Heat Culture was set by Riley from Day One.”
There is no denying that Riley’s structure helped the Heat win multiple championships. Given that the Heat is a young franchise compared to the other teams in the league, Riley deserves a fair share of credit for establishing a championship system.
Be that as it may, Butler and Boozer’s opinion that talented players joining the Heat helped promote its culture cannot be disputed. Fans are left wondering who played a more significant role for the Heat as a franchise and who should be credited.