Hall of Fame Tim Hardaway Sr. didn't like Jimmy Butler's “crybaby” trade-demanding attitude, and he was dealt with by warriors.
Butler's tenure in Miami ended sourly with trade deadlines as multiple suspensions and internal conflicts forced him to trade with the Warriors earlier this month.
“I didn't agree with what he was doing – you're on a contract.” Hardaway said on SiriusXM NBA radio About Butler's actions leading up to trade.
“[Butler’s] Hardaway added. “[He’s] crybaby. ”
He played for five different teams in his 13-year NBA career, including The Heat and Warriors.
Butler said he liked to be traded in December. But then Heat President Pat Reilly responded with a “no” saying Hardaway would have been familiar with his time.
“We'll make that clear — we're not trading Jimmy Butler,” Riley said.
Butler then responded to Riley's declaration with “behavior to the team.”
Butler was then granted his wish to finally be traded.
“We'd always say 'no', but we knew how to take it,” Hardaway said. “That's a question, you'll get yes or no.”
Butler is not the only example of today's players wielding more power than ever before and forcing them to go where they want to be. Trade requests from stars, from James Harden to Kawi Leonard to Kyrie Irving, are pretty common.
This isn't the first time Butler has requested a trade, as he also requested from Minnesota in 2018.
It's not just in this era, as trade demands have been in the NBA for decades.
Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neill, Hakeem O'Rajuwon At one point, all carriers' trade requests were denied.
However, O'Neill admitted his request on another occasion – and Kareem Abdul Jabber, Wilt Chamberlain and Clyde Drexler fulfilled their trade pleas at some point in their careers.
Butler was clearly not the first star to demand trade, nor was the last.
