Scottie Pippen says it's been known for 'years' that Heat are guilty of doing 'exactly' what Paul Pierce thinks they do

01/19/2025 06:03 PM

Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce caused a stir with some comments he made regarding Miami Heat president Pat Riley earlier in the month, when drama between star forward Jimmy Butler and the Heat was arguably at its zenith.

Pierce suggested that Riley only cares about his star players for so long before he acts as though they’re disposable.

Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen seems to think that Riley and the Heat are guilty as charged.

"Zion Williamson WON'T Last" – Scottie Pippen Says ONLY One NBA Coach Can Save Zion@patrickbetdavid@ScottiePippenpic.twitter.com/Skxk8WeZRF

— PBD Podcast (@PBDsPodcast) January 19, 2025

“Well, I don’t wanna say it the way Paul Pierce said it, but it’s been known for many years that the Miami Heat does exactly what Paul Pierce said,” Pippen claimed. “… When you’re young, you can work for Pat Riley, but as you get older, like a Jimmy Butler, his system will break you down.”

There are multiple examples of players accomplishing a lot with the Heat only for them to either be traded or leave in free agency.

During his time with Miami, Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t always the dominant force that he was earlier in his career, but he was still the team’s second-leading scorer in the 2006 NBA Playoffs, which culminated in the Heat winning their first championship in franchise history. He averaged nearly a double-double of 18.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

Yet, O’Neal didn’t even last four full seasons in a Heat uniform. He was dealt to the Phoenix Suns midway through the 2007-08 campaign.

LeBron James is another case. He might be the most talented player who’s ever worn a Heat jersey, but his tenure with the team spanned just four seasons.

The Heat were perennial title contenders with James in the fold, as Miami reached four straight NBA Finals and won two championships during that span. But after the Heat were smoked by the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2014 championship series, James took his talents back home to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Years later, Dwyane Wade, often regarded as the greatest player in Heat history, left in free agency to join the Bulls. He eventually returned to Miami and retired with the Heat, but many still feel like the team never should have let him slip away in the first place.

Now, the Heat are dealing with drama surrounding Butler in what is shaping up to be another disappointing departure.

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