The Miami Heat are no strangers to headlines, but lately, it’s not their basketball success that’s grabbing attention. Instead, rumors of turmoil with Jimmy Butler have taken center stage. Butler, a key figure for the Heat, seems unhappy with his South Beach experience, and fingers are pointing at team president Pat Riley. Recently, Celtics legend Paul Pierce reignited the debate, calling out Riley’s approach, which he claims is chasing the Heat’s culture away and its stars.

During the recent episode of KG Certified, Pierce didn’t hold back when describing Riley’s treatment of star players. “Once I get whatever I got out of you, you can get the f–k out of here. That’s what Pat Riley’s mentality is like,” Pierce said. Taking Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James as examples, he emphasized how Riley’s strategy revolves around quick results over loyalty. “Once I got what, Shaq, I got a chip out of you, all right, who gives a f–k about him. LeBron, all right, get out. Wade, you too.”

Then he doubled down, saying, “once I get what I want out of you, kick rocks.” His co-host, Kevin Garnett, backed him up, calling it a Heat “tradition.” “That’s crazy to me, though,” Pierce said, reflecting on the broader impact. “It ain’t no loyalty in that, and so that’s why you see the players and how they is.”

Critics have long believed Riley pushed away legends like LeBron and Shaq. After LeBron left Miami in 2014, Riley reportedly threw shade, questioning James’ commitment. “This stuff is hard. And you’ve got to stay together if you’ve got the guts,” he had said. Though LeBron cited personal reasons for returning to Cleveland, many believe Riley’s comments didn’t help.

Shaq’s case was even more direct. Riley traded the big man mid-season in 2008, accusing him of faking injuries. Shaq later remarked, “You can’t bicker with Pat Riley. If Jimmy wants a trade, he’ll definitely get traded… Pat Riley runs the ship there.” The question remains—has Riley’s no-nonsense style helped or hurt the Heat’s legacy? Pierce think the later one.

Paul Pierce calls out Pat Riley for ruining “Heat culture”

While some NBA fans blame Jimmy Butler for stirring up chaos in Miami, Paul Pierce sees things differently. The Celtics legend thinks the real problem lies with Heat president Pat Riley. According to Pierce, Riley’s way of running the team is what’s driving Butler to lose his passion for the game.

In fact, Pierce didn’t hold back from naming names. He claimed Riley’s rigid leadership style has pushed away stars like LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and even Dwyane Wade. Now, with Butler demanding a trade, Pierce believes the 79-year-old’s approach is tearing down everything Heat Culture once stood for.

“Pat Riley brought Heat Culture, but I think he’s slowly destroying it. Look what he’s done to his star players since Heat Culture started,” the Celtics legend said. “He ran Shaq out of town, you ran LeBron out of town, you ran D-Wade out of town—of all people. One you drafted, one you won your first championship with.”

And Pierce wasn’t done. “Now you running Jimmy Butler out of town,” he added. “This to me tells me that Heat Culture lives and dies with Pat Riley.”

Although Riley recently denied any trade rumors involving Butler, the 6’7” forward’s recent comments say otherwise. To Pierce, Riley’s iron-fist leadership may have created Heat Culture, but it’s also dismantling it one star at a time.