Pat Riley and Jimmy Butler went through one of the worst breakups with the Miami Heat.
It was so bad media personality Dan LeBatard compared it to that of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady with the New England Patriots.
"This is the poison of being in charge for 50 years," LeBatard said. "The amount of ego that must be on Pat Riley making all the decisions. You think Belichick and Brady had a disconnect where player and management meet ..."
Butler and Riley separated after five-and-a-half seasons together in Miami. During the tenure, the Heat made two appearances in the NBA Finals and reached the Eastern Conference finals three times. They were in the middle of yet another run to the postseason despite the differences between Riley and Butler. He eventually was traded to the Golden State Warriors last month.
A similar breakup occurred with Brady and Belichick in New England. The Patriots won six championships in nine Super Bowl appearances. Brady then left to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over a disconnect with Belichick.
It wasn't the first time Riley and a star player were at odds. In 2014, Riley was unable to keep LeBron James happy. It led to James returning back to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2016, the Heat failed in negotiating a contract extension for Dwyane Wade. That led to Wade joining the Chicago Bulls.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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