Jimmy Butler made his second return to South Beach on Wednesday since being traded by the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors, and seemingly, old wounds haven't fully healed for the veteran forward.
Butler had an acrimonious exit with the Heat, primarily due to his negative perception of the team's treatment of him. He also memorably said he had lost the joy in playing. He was shipped to the Warriors in February. It was an ugly divorce, as Butler was well-loved in Miami.
He sat out the game against the Heat at Kaseya Center due to a back issue. Miami won, 110-96, with Golden State also missing Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jonathan Kuminga due to various injuries.
After the contest, Butler didn't shake hands with the Heat and went straight to the locker room, as shown in the video posted by ClutchPoints' Zach Weinberger.
Jimmy Butler leaving court right after the buzzer as Heat beat under-manned Warriors, 110-96. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/4EWc3UKZ6v
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 20, 2025
Fans had mixed reactions to the 36-year-old Butler's move.
“Call me old school, but I never liked chumming it up with the other team, anyway,” said @AfterBurn305.
“And he said he has no beef with the players,” added @rafluispadpad.
“LMAO, he's like a little kid. At least go say hi to your old teammates,” suggested @Otown18.
“I’ll always appreciate what he did for us, but he’s such a cornball, man,” wrote @amrat_25.
“Poor, poor, Jimmy. It’s alright, he’ll have no legacy anywhere, and he’ll only have himself to blame,” commented @UNRmaniac2.
Butler played five and a half seasons with the Heat, helping them to two appearances in the NBA Finals.
The Warriors dropped to 9-8 and remained winless on the road. The Heat, meanwhile, improved to 9-6, including 7-1 at home.
