Jimmy Butler could be a funny teammate. Just recently, he and Stephen Curry have been bantering on social media over a profile picture.
He also had his moments with Buddy Hield, whom he constantly trolled when they were still teammates on the Golden State Warriors.
Butler can be a favorite teammate, but sometimes, according to a player he previously played with on the Miami Heat, he can also feel like a total stranger.
Max Strus was Butler’s teammate from 2020 to 2023, and he witnessed Butler’s peak both on and off the court. The Heat reached the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023, with Butler serving as their undisputed leader.
Strus thought Butler was a good veteran for the team. However, he said Butler’s attitude toward his teammates was not always positive. He believes the Warriors star can switch his good side on and off when it comes to his teammates.
“He’s also like an [expletive] towards you,” Strus said in an interview with Pardon My Take.
“One day you’ll look at him, and he won’t even, like, acknowledge you. You could go to dinner with him the night before, and you’re his best friend; then the next morning you go to practice, and he won’t even look at you or say hi to you.”
May 13, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Max Strus (2) shoots in the first half against the Detroit Pistons uring game five of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Strus added that it was all good on his side and thought that it was just Butler locking in for their goal.
“It’s like, ‘Damn, what did I do at dinner last night?’ Then the game starts, and he’s your best friend again. You gotta play the cards like, ‘Ah, Jimmy is gonna be Jimmy.’ I just got to a point I didn’t give a anymore.”
‘s fall out with the Heat
Butler’s time with the Heat came to an unexpected end in 2025 when he was traded midseason to the Warriors for Andrew Wiggins.
Subsequent reports said that Butler and the organization could not reach an agreement over his desired contract and that he had developed friction with teammates and team president Pat Riley. It got to the point where Butler stopped attending games.
His relationship with his teammates also regressed. Bam Adebayo, the Heat’s other star, allegedly grew cold toward him.
“Somebody still has to play the game. You still gotta go out there and figure out how to win,” Adebayo told reporters when asked about Butler sitting out game.
Adebayo also tried his best to not put the Butler drama in the middle during their 2024-25 campaign.
Mar 25, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) dribbles the basketball as Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) defends during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
When Butler faced the Heat for the first time in March 2025, he visibly ignored many of his former teammates, most notably Adebayo.
The 36-year-old forward said that night that he was moving on and that the chapter had ended. He also had good things to say about the Heat organization.
“I mean [the video] took me back to some good times when I was wearing a Miami Heat jersey,” he said.
“Very appreciative of those times, to help me become the player that I am, the individual that I am in this league, the teammate, the leader, all of those things. I don’t think I could be who I am today without my opportunity here.”
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