Heat’s Legacy in Jeopardy! Tyler Herro Drops Bombshell on Jersey Retirement
It has been less than two weeks since Jimmy Butler‘s ugly departure from the Miami Heat. After a long-time saga, the Heat traded Butler to the Golden State Warriors. Despite his exit, Butler stands as one of the greatest Heat players in franchise history, especially in the modern era. However, according to his former teammate, Butler may not earn the same honor some of the other Heat greats have.
Recently, Tyler Herro spoke about new teammate Andrew Wiggins getting Butler’s No. 22. While Herro called Butler “a Heat Legend,” he also implied that the team will likely not retire his jersey number.
“Jimmy is definitely a Heat legend, but I feel with how things transpired over the last couple of months… I think 22 can be worn again,” Herro said.
Currently, only eight players (nine, including Bill Russell, whose No. 6 is retired league-wide) have their jersey numbers retired by the Heat franchise. It is too soon to know for sure, but it seems that Butler will not be the next Heat to earn this honor.
Tyler Herro Thinks Miami Won’t Retire ‘Heat Legend’s’ Jersey Number
Should the Miami Heat Retire Jimmy Butler’s Jersey Number?
Butler joined the Heat as a free agent in 2019. In parts of six seasons in Miami, the Marquette alum averaged 21 points, 6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals. Furthermore, he earned two All-Star selections and three All-NBA selections. He was also an MVP candidate and led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances in 2020 and 2023.
The Heat have retired the jerseys of many NBA greats, including Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Shaquille O’Neal, and Alonzo Mourning. Additionally, while not official, it is fair to assume they will also retire LeBron James‘ jersey number once he calls it a career. Interestingly, every player who has their jersey number retired by the Heat has won a championship with the team except for Tim Hardaway Sr.
Despite never winning a championship with the Heat, Butler was the face of an era and played an essential role in the team’s success. It is a debatable topic. However, ugly exit aside, Butler may have done enough in Miami to earn a jersey retirement. Whether it will happen or not, however, is a different story.
The Last Word
Since his trade from Miami, Butler has appeared in four games for the Warriors. In those games, they are 3-1. New teammate Draymond Green spoke about Butler’s fit in Golden State, calling him “a franchise changer.”
“He’s a franchise changer,” Warriors power forward Draymond Green said about Butler. “He’s done that everywhere he’s gone and he is helping revitalize what we got here. The belief amongst this team, now that he’s arrived, as opposed to what it was before he got here, it’s night and day.”
Because of the All-Star break, Warriors fans must wait a little bit longer to see Butler back on the court. However, as it stands, it seems clear he is making a positive impact early on.
