“I’m getting all kinds of germs,” revealed Hassan Whiteside, the former center for the Miami Heat, in reference to Pat Riley’s peculiar pregame routine.

The president of the Miami Heat, Pat Riley, is renowned for his rigorous style of play. Though there are innumerable legendary tales about Riley, Hassan Whiteside’s most recent discovery may top them all.

Riley was a journeyman who was attempting to establish his value to be on the club when Whiteside first met him back in 2014. Riley was discussing this during a recent appearance on The OGs podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller. After that, Whiteside had what he called the most intense and strange workout of his life.

Whiteside said, “Pat Riley personally came out on the court and worked me out,” sounding even more unbelievable ten years later. “The toughest exercise I’ve ever done! Really, really. Even until this day.”

Imagine Riley, the basketball legend, walking onto the court dressed to the nines, his hair pulled back and his collared shirt ironed. Riley intensity, without the gym equipment.

Recalling how Riley had him repeatedly perform full-court dunks, Whiteside admitted, “I’m literally at the point I’m going to black out before I stop this workout.”

The strange aspect wasn’t that, though.

His tone was a mixture of laughter and shock. “He was like, ‘Lick your hand and touch as high as you can on the backboard,'” Whiteside recalled. “I’m licking my hand, touching the backboard, licking my hand — I’m like, ‘I’m getting all kinds of germs from this backboard.’ But listen, we got to get it.”

Umm. Riley keeps his hair so flawlessly slicked back—is that routine of his? Simply stating the obvious.

Former Miami Heat players Miller and Haslem, who were well-versed in Riley’s methods, immediately chimed in to clarify everything. It was more than just exercise. It was an endurance test, both physically and mentally.

Miller stated, “One thing about Coach Riley, man, he just wanted to see if he could break you,” giving a hint to Riley’s penchant for mental toughness.

“He was aware of the talent.” Haslem continued, “He just wanted to evaluate you mentally.

Whiteside passed the test in spite of the germs and the grind. He swiftly dispelled naysayers after joining the Heat that season, going from a G League player to a formidable force in the NBA.

However, his success in Miami was short-lived. He retired two years after the Heat traded him to Portland in 2019 and never again accomplished those same heights.

Heat player Jimmy Butler might be a free agency next summer and linked to an East rival.

The Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler have decided to postpone contract extension negotiations until next summer, but in the event that they are unable to reach a new agreement, a new possible destination has surfaced.

According to the article, Jimmy Butler “likes” the Brooklyn Nets as a possible destination for his free agency next summer.

According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Butler “likes Brooklyn” and may become a free agent in the upcoming summer.

Butler can choose to forego his $52.4 million player option for the 2025–2026 campaign in order to become a free agent and sign a longer-term contract in Miami or another location the following summer.

It is anticipated that the Brooklyn Nets will have cap space of at least $80 million the following offseason. They may be searching for a new franchise leader after dealing Mikal Bridges and regaining a number of their future draft picks.

Our two cents

Butler’s fondness for New York is widely recognized. He has a social media engagement with Van Leeuwen, an ice cream chain based in New York, and spends a lot of time there during the off-season. If Butler decides to leave Miami, New York seems like a logical choice in terms of his professional goals.

Whether the Nets “like” Butler is the question. How eager would they be to give a 36-year-old Butler a big contract after starting their rebuild? They might want to get things going faster, but they wouldn’t be in the same situation as the Philadelphia 76ers this summer when trying to match Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid with a top player.

Nevertheless, the Nets cannot be written off if Butler becomes a free agency in the summer of 2020.

Jimmy Butler career highs: A look back at the Heat star’s greatest moments.

Jimmy Butler has given Miami Heat supporters incredible performances that will never be forgotten during his time there. These performances were not only noteworthy, but they would also take place on the biggest platform in the NBA. “Playoff Jimmy” is a genuine person, despite his denials to the contrary.

Because of his postseason ascension, Butler consistently performs when it counts most, regardless of the Heat’s seed or level of expectation. Butler has averaged 21.3 points per game for the Heat during his career, but during Miami’s recent winning seasons, those totals have increased to around 30 points per game.

Butler’s greatest performances while wearing a Heat jersey have all occurred during postseason play, as is usually the case.

5. 45 points against the Hawks in 2022

This performance occurred in the second game of the Heat’s 2022–2021 Atlanta Hawks first-round series. The Trae Young-led team, fresh off a run to the Eastern Conference finals the previous season, was thoroughly embarrassed by Butler. 45 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists were his totals on 15/25 (60%) and 11/12 (92%) free throw shooting.

After winning the game and taking a 2-0 lead in the series, Miami went on to advance by completing a gentleman’s sweep of the opposition.

4. 40-point trifecta against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020

The 2020 postseason, the first of the Butler era, saw the Heat make their first underdog run. Amazingly, the fifth-seeded Heat would go to the NBA Finals, where Butler squared up against former two-time Heat champion LeBron James and the LA Lakers.

Butler recorded a triple-double of 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists, along with two blocks and two steals, to help the team from falling behind 3-0 in the series. In a Finals game, he became the first player in history to outscore, outrebound, and outassist James.

3. Milwaukee Bucks versus: 42 points (2023)

In 2023, Butler’s masterful first-round performance against the Milwaukee Bucks ended in a gentleman’s sweep on the road. He ended them with a 42-point performance, eight rebounds, four assists, and the game-tying alley-oop basket that forced overtime.

Before the game-tying shot, he led a nearly 20-point rally and warned Jrue Holiday, “you can’t guard me.” He had a lot of big buckets during the extra time.

2022: 2. 47 points vs the Boston Celtics

In the 2022 Eastern Conference finals, Butler faced the Boston Celtics and lost 3-2, which turned into his second-greatest game of his career. With a banged-up knee, Butler ran the Celtics off the court in front of an angry crowd at TD Garden.

With 47 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists on 16/29 (55%) shooting, he recorded the third-highest scoring performance in a Heat playoff game in the team’s history.

1. Milwaukee Bucks versus 56 points (2023)

“Long shot, Butler, good!” The most memorable moment in Butler’s career was unquestionably his 56-point comeback against the top-seeded Bucks in 2023 to take a 3-1 lead. In the remarkable performance, he shot 19/28 (68%) and tied for the fourth-highest scoring game in playoff history.

During his subsequent game, he scored 96 points in a back-to-back set. In many ways, Butler’s performance in the first round that year stands as the best in NBA history. Over the course of the series, he averaged 37.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.8 steals while shooting 60% from the field and 44% from three.