Miami Heat president Pat Riley was spared from having Jimmy Butler overshadow his final chapter by immediately competing for a championship with the Golden State Warriors post-trade.

There’s a photo that Miami Heat president Pat Riley keeps in his office. It’s of Jimmy Butler, exhausted in Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals, catching his breath while slumped over a barrier that surrounded the court at Walt Disney World.

Pat Riley’s memories of Jimmy Butler are still fond. Despite their reportedly contentious split, which played out across multiple scathing reports and an eventual trade that sent the six-time All-Star to Golden State in February, ending a magical six seasons in Miami, Riley didn’t torch the once fiery Heat star.