Ahead of Miami reunion, Butler shed light on why his Heat tenure tilted the wrong way and why his time with the Warriors is going so well.

Before Miami traded Butler to the Warriors, the Heat suspended him on three separate occasions for conduct detrimental to the team. Riley had publicly called out Butler for his lack of availability after last season’s first-round exit and the Heat declined to offer Butler a contract extension despite his role in leading the team to two NBA Finals.

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. — Jimmy Butler has been through these first-game-back matchups against former teams before. He got a standing ovation and a tribute video at Chicago in 2018. He got jeered in Minnesota in 2019. He got downright booed in his return to Philadelphia later that year.