Jimmy Butler hasn’t been shy about the fact that he isn’t happy that Damian Lillard ended up with the Milwaukee Bucks instead of the Miami Heat. So much so, that the six-time All-Star even accused Milwaukee of tampering when the Lillard trade news broke.
In a recent interview, however, Butler hinted that he’s moved on from all this by saying that he’s happy for Dame. Nevertheless, there’s still one particular aspect that has left him pissed off.
Jimmy Butler Shades Milwaukee Bucks Coach
According to reports, the Heat also made a move on Jrue Holiday before he got traded to the Boston Celtics. Miami really went 0-for-2 in their pursuit of a new star point guard this summer.
When asked about the Heat’s failed move for both Lillard and Holiday, Butler got brutally honest in his response:
“No no no no, not at all. I’m happy for both of those guys,” Butler said. “I’m more pissed off that [Damian Lillard] went to Milwaukee because he went to Adrian Griffin’s team. Everybody knows I don’t like Adrian Griffin at all. Since my Chicago days.
“But I’m happy for Milwaukee. They got better. It gives us the opportunity to be better.”
Jimmy Butler was asked if he's disappointed that Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday did not get traded to the Heat.
"No no no no, not at all. I'm happy for both of those guys." pic.twitter.com/u9ps6bedCZ
— Wes Goldberg (@wcgoldberg) October 4, 2023
While Butler revealed that he isn’t disappointed by these developments, he did throw a haymaker in the direction of Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin. The Heat talisman made his feelings about the Milwaukee shot-caller abundantly clear.
Was Jimmy Butler Kidding Around?
Despite the fact that he was no longer sporting his hilarious emo look during Wednesday’s media session, it appears that Butler was still trolling around. The reason why I say this is because Butler and Griffin go way back. The latter was an assistant coach during Butler’s early years in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls, and the pair formed quite a bond during that time.
In a previous interview, Butler actually credited Griffin for his early development:
“But I think Adrian Griffin had a lot because he had to deal with me just being unbearable. I think he has a lot to do with who I am,” Butler said.
There appears to be nothing but love between Butler and Griffin, and it seems likely that the five-time All-NBA forward was just messing with the media when he threw shade at his former coach.
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