WATCH: Tempers flare on Heat sideline between Jimmy Butler, Udonis Haslem
Fans in attendance for the Miami Heat game against the Golden State Warriors caught a sideline moment where Miami teammates had to be separated. Veterans Jimmy Butler and Udonis Haslem shared a heated exchange that forced teammates to separate them as they continued to yell at each other during a timeout. Eventually, head coach Erik Spoelstra had enough and threw down his clipboard before getting into a shouting match with Butler as well.
Spoelstra had to be separated from Butler as well on the court, leaving fans confused as to what set everybody off. Butler has a reputation of being an aggressive competitor, so sideline arguments are nothing new with the six-time All Star. Haslem’s veteran leadership likely was a factor in the argument, as the 19-year NBA vet from Florida was not taking whatever Butler was saying. Haslem has spent all 19 seasons of his NBA career with Miami, a beloved player by their fans.
Haslem, Butler and Spoelstra cause scene on Heat sideline
While cameras didn’t catch the beginning of the argument completely, Butler and Haslem were visibily agitated with each other before being separated. As Dewayne Dedmon took Butler away onto the court, Bam Adebayo stepped in front of Haslem. With the timeout apparently wasted by Miami, Spoelstra threw his clipboard onto the ground in frustration before continuing the argument with Haslem on the sideline. Play resumed in the game, leaving the argument unresolved in a strange outburst even by Butler’s standards.
Miami went on to lose the game against the Warriors, 118-104 — giving Milwaukee, Boston and Philadelphia a window to gain a game on them in the Eastern Conference standings. Miami sits as the one-seed, 1.5 games ahead of Milwaukee and Boston with the regular season drawing to a close. Golden State’s win keeps them in step with Memphis in the Western Conference after their win over Brooklyn, trailing the Grizzlies by two games.