Celtics legend makes feelings known on Pat Riley building and killing 'Heat Culture' - "Ran Shaq out of town, ran LeBron out"

The Jimmy Butler saga has taken another turn with his seven-game suspension by the Miami Heat. Heat's long-serving president Pat Riley has been in the firing line since the decision to suspend Butler was made, with Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce accusing him of ruining the well-known 'Heat Culture.'

Paul Pierce, speaking on a Friday episode of Fox's "Speak on FS1," was blunt with his assessment of the whole Jimmy Butler saga. While he acknowledged the role of Pat Riley in shaping the so-called 'Heat Culture,' he listed out the past role Pat Riley has played in slowly destroying the culture.

"I think Heat culture lives ... Pat Riley brought Heat culture," Paul Pierce said on Speak on FS1. "And what I want to say about that, I think he's slowly destroying Heat culture."

"When you look at where Heat culture started with Shaq and Lonzo. Haslam and Wade ... Look what he done for star players since Heat culture started. He ran Shaq out of town. You ran LeBron out of town. You ran D-Wade out of town ... Now you're running Jimmy Butler out of town. Heat culture lives and dies with Pat Riley."

Pat Riley's tough-love approach has seen him play a vital role in the team winning multiple championships as well as attracting top talents. However, his old-school approach and unwillingness to budge have also led to conflicts with his star player, most recently Butler.

The tension between Butler and Riley has been building for a while. Butler requested that the franchise build on their strong run to the NBA Finals in 2023, but his request was not heeded and instead met with criticism from Riley.

The recent suspension issued to Butler is seen by some as a way of maintaining discipline within the Heat ranks. Others have seen it as a power move made by Pat Riley after the six-time All-Star publicly expressed his desire to be traded.

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Jimmy Butler's 7-game suspension gets reaction from Players Union

Jimmy Butler's 7-game suspension by the Miami Heat has gotten a response from the National Basketball Players Association. The union, in a statement on Friday, announced they would file a grievance to dispute the disciplinary measure.

“The 7-game suspension imposed tonight by the Miami Heat on Jimmy Butler is excessive and inappropriate, and we intend to file a grievance challenging the discipline,” the NBPA statement read.

The Heat suspended Jimmy for seven games and will be fined $336,543 per game missed, per ESPN. This will result in $2.4 million of his $48.8 million salary. However, he has 30 days to file a grievance, the process of which could take up to a year.