Barkley’s message to Butler, and the Barkley/Shaq/Kenny Smith debate on it. And Heat notes
Charles Barkley has a message for disgruntled (and suspended) Heat forward Jimmy Butler:
You’re not going to outsmart Pat Riley in this stare-down between alpha males.
“Jimmy is going up against Pat Riley; he’s going to lose,” Barkley said on TNT on Thursday evening, as Butler was serving the first game of a two-game suspension after previously serving a seven-game team suspension while the Heat continues efforts to fulfill his trade request.
“Pat Riley is arguably the greatest person in NBA history as far as coaching, running teams, everything,” Barkley added. “Pat Riley is not going to lose. Jimmy is just wasting money. He’s lost $3 million that he’s never going to see. That’s a lot of money. No matter how much money you got, $3 million is a lot. He’s going to get traded. But the Heat are not going to take 50 cents on a dollar. And if you get in a contest with Pat Riley, you’re going to lose, plain and simple.”
But is there an urgency to get a trade done to get rid of the distraction? “Not just to give him away,” Barkley said. “I’m pretty sure they both want to get a deal done.”
TNT’s Kenny Smith, who attended the Heat’s loss to Portland on Tuesday, said: “I think the Miami Heat are going to be in the play-in situation regardless if he plays or not. ...
“[Butler’s behavior] is unprofessional. When you miss things that you’re supposed to be at and you get paid to be at, there’s no other word for it. He’s been the consummate pro when you hear about his work ethic and things that he’s done from people who have been around him. So I’m disappointed in that regard. And if it’s about a new contract and money, you’re losing money now from not showing up.
“I watched the game, Portland vs. Miami, and I said, ‘Man, they’re playing hard. But they’re not playing with enthusiasm. So it’s going to be tough to beat Portland tonight.’ They wound up losing that game.”
Shaquille O’Neal was more forgiving of Butler’s conduct that Barkley was.
“The letter of the law states to be professional and do things that you’re supposed to do,” O’Neal said. “So by the letter of the law, he disobeyed the letter of the law, which shows a little bit of unprofessionalism. But I’m not going to take shots at Jimmy. This is what we call the business of basketball. Things like this do happen.”
More from the lively O’Neal/Barkley exchange on the matter:
Barkley: “You still have to be professional.”
O’Neal: “Yeah. But I don’t like it’s his fault.... Human nature kicks in.”
Barkley: “Pat Riley is not just going to give him away. Jimmy Butler is a really good player.... Jimmy Butler makes $50 million a year.”
Shaq: “He wants more. So what?”
Barkley: “He ain’t getting more.”
Shaq: “OK, so guess what. You don’t want me, I don’t want to be here.”
Barkley: “But you can’t just not show up to work.”
Shaq: “Why not?... It’s human nature. If you don’t want me, I don’t want to be here.”
Ernie Johnson asked O’Neal if he doesn’t feel a responsibility to play his best when under contract.
Shaq: “I do. But I’m not going to go all out, especially is we’re not going to win the championship. Because you know what, at 35, what if I tear a knee and get hurt?”
Barkley: “You’re still going to make $50 million.”
O’Neal: “Bro, I want more. You keep talking about two years. What about years 3, 4, 5 and 6?”
This and that
▪ Bam Adebayo hasn’t scored 20 points in a game since Jan. 2 and has scored 20 points or more in just 11 of 41 games, after producing 39 games of 20 or more points last season. His scoring average has dropped from 19.3 to 15.5.
▪ Per Stathead and Simon Smith, Kel’el Ware is the first NBA rookie in history with three consecutive games of at least 20 points, 8 rebounds, two blocks and two three-pointers.
▪ Also per Stathead and Smith, Terry Rozier has the lowest three-point shooting percentage in history over a 14-game stretch for a player with as many as 80 attempts. He’s shooting 13 for 80 (16.3 percent) over that ongoing stretch, and his 28.9 percent accuracy on threes this season is the worst for an NBA player who is shooting as many threes as he is.
This story was originally published January 24, 2025 at 9:47 AM.
