Two NBA Finals appearances in five full seasons with the Miami Heat is how most will remember Jimmy Butler’s tenure with the franchise. Others, however, won’t forget the messy fallout that unfolded over several weeks and led to multiple suspensions. Docked $3 million in pay, the 36-year-old infamously admitted to losing his joy with the team. Now, eight months after his trade to the Golden State Warriors, new reports suggest Butler had been a source of “discomfort” in the Heat locker room. At least one close ally is coming to his defense.

Under the social media handle Ernny the Man, Butler’s longtime friend has been a visible supporter—sharing front-row seats at games and attending CONCACAF matches with him earlier this year. So it wasn’t surprising when he pushed back against the recent reports. “A locker room full of grown men letting one person control the aux cord and causing discomfort. But that’s Heat Culture 😂😂😂🤣🤣,” Ernny posted, dismissing the claims about Butler’s alleged conduct toward former teammates.

Five Reasons Sports’ Ethan J. Skolnick, who followed the team for the longest time, stated, “I’ll just say it — when I was in the locker room, there would be discomfort at times. Jimmy controlled the music always, okay? Nobody else could touch it. And I remember being in Orlando for a trip that he didn’t take.”

And this was well documented last season amid Heat-Butler standoff, as Pat Riley weighed in: “We got a great culture that hasn’t been crushed,” Riley continued. “And just because there were some issues this year that were not culture-oriented, they were player-oriented. I’m talking about the Butler situation, our culture is the same.”

Implying the same notion as Skolnick- Butler being the root cause of the issues stemming in the locker room. Moreover, being away from his kids took a toll on Jimmy Butler. But he was still one of the leaders in the Heat squad.

However, the recent report states that other teammates were not always on board, at least with his music taste. Speaking about Jimmy missing the Orlando trip, Skolnick added how the vibes changed.

“Thank God, okay? I know you’re gonna be surprised that I say this, but I hate country music. But it’s ’cause Jimmy wasn’t there. It was like they were unleashed to be themselves and enjoy the music that they like and not have to worry about this guy controlling it.” The teammates’ dislike of the music that Butler played is understandable.

In a 2023 interview, Tyler Herro admitted he’d started listening to Nickelback on his own after Butler kept playing it in the locker room. Herro, who grew up with the band, called it “not bad” but noted it was an adjustment.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. shared a story from his early days (2023-24 season) where Butler played an “sad Ed Sheeran song” during pregame prep, throwing off the hyped-up atmosphere others preferred. Jaquez described it as a “favorite Jimmy Butler story” for its eccentricity.

After all, the current Warriors superstar is known to be a huge country music fan. In fact, the veteran forward also appeared in a music video for the country song “Light It Up” by Luke Bryan and the emo song “So Much (for) Stardust” by Fall Out Boy.

But did the choice of music lead to a rift in the locker room? After all, when Jimmy Buckets returned to Miami as a Warriors player, after the match, there were no post-game hugs, daps, or handshakes exchanged with the former players.

Jimmy Butler felt miserable with the Miami Heat

From the onset, we got the real feelings known of the 36-year-old All-Star when he said he couldn’t find on-court joy in Miami. During a recent episode of ‘Dubs Talk’, Butler disclosed that he was actually “miserable” on the Miami Heat before getting traded to the Golden State Warriors.

One may think this was due to locker-room issues or his problems with President Pat Riley. But instead, it was because Jimmy Butler was away from his kids while they lived in California.

“The reason I’m extremely happy is because my kids are closer to me now,” Butler admitted.

“My kids are in California, so going that long and I wasn’t seeing my kids, I was miserable. That’s the part of the game that the outside eye doesn’t see. You think it’s just basketball, but it’s not.”

Being close to his kids is also important for Butler, after he unfortunately lost his father in February last year. Plus, now he feels wanted in the Golden State, and that’s why in April, the veteran forward admitted, ‘I got my joy back’.

Continuing on ‘Dubs Talk’, Butler added, “I’m happy because I’m wanted, I’m happy because I’ve got an incredible group of guys, I’m happy because I know we can win a championship, but I’m happy because I get my kids around, too.”

Being around his children and with teammates who appreciate him led him to deliver instant results. The team went on a 23-7 run with him in the squad, as they finished 7th, with just 2 games back from achieving the third spot.