Jimmy Butler made his return to the court after a 13-day absence due to illness, but his comeback fell flat as he scored just nine points, contributing to a disappointing defeat for the Miami Heat. Following the game, team officials hinted at dissatisfaction with Butler’s professionalism, sparking further speculation. Butler later addressed the situation, shedding some light on the matter.

Since mid-December, Butler has been at the center of swirling trade rumors, which head coach Erik Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley have publicly denied. Riley even firmly stated that Butler is “not going to be traded.” Despite these reassurances, there appears to be a tense standoff brewing between the shrewd Riley and the Heat’s 35-year-old star.

In a new twist, Miami Herald journalist Barry Jackson found himself in the middle of a Twitter spat with Butler’s close ally, Ernny the Man. Jackson reported insider news claiming Butler’s camp accused the Heat of threatening to suspend him after the game against the Pelicans—an allegation Miami vehemently denied.

Ernny retweeted Jackson’s report, questioning the journalist’s integrity. Jackson fired back, defending his work by asserting that he presented both sides of the story, a hallmark of good journalism. His response struck a chord with fans, many of whom flooded the comments to show their support for his professionalism.

“I love spicy Barry! Keep up the good work”: Fans applaud journalist Barry Jackson after a social media beef with Butler’s close ally

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat are falling apart and this has caused a lot of distress among Heat fans. This online beef between Barry Jackson and Ernny is the latest chapter of the Jimmy Butler trade saga with both taking shots at each other. However, the fans seem to be on Jackson’s side as one of them wrote, “Barry just cooked ern” suggesting the journalist’s replies were too good for Butler’s friend.

At the same time, another person commented, “Barry was having none of it. Keep up the great reporting” as he pointed out that Barry was just doing his job of reporting the news which is exactly what he’s supposed to do. But, Ernny called it a lie and questioned his reporting to which he gave a firm reply.

The Miami fans seem to be loving Barry’s reply so much so that one stated, “You got ratio’d @ernnytheman. Don’t pick fights with Barry. He’ll stay in south FL doing his thing no matter WHAT.” He suggested that Ernny should not pick fights with the Miami Herald columnist because unlike Butler he’s going to stay there doing what he does. 

“Barry went Nuclear” is what a follower thought of his replies as he left Butler’s friend Ernny speechless with his replies. He further used a GIF of an explosion to add another layer to his comment and give it a bit of a humorous touch.

 

A fan also stated it wasn’t something Barry Jackson would usually do as he wrote, “Wow, that’s out of character for you Barry. I’d stay out of the mud with the pigs ’cause guess what they enjoy it” Suggesting that he had to give a strong reply in order to match their level. Well, whatever might be the truth the people seem to residing with the Miami-based journalist as Jimmy Butler’s trade saga takes yet another turn.