The agent of Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler took a shot at Minnesota Timberwolves guard Austin Rivers after his altercation with Mo Bamba on Friday night.
Rivers and Bamba got into a fight during Minnesota’s game against the Orlando Magic, as Bamba left the Orlando bench to go after Rivers.
AUSTIN RIVERS AND MO BAMBA GET INTO IT 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kUFYXgPvI5
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 4, 2023
After the game, Rivers explained what prompted the fight that led to his ejection. He said that somebody from the Orlando bench was talking to him in a way he did not like, leading to him asking the player to be respectful.
Bernard Lee, Butler’s agent, didn’t seem to like Rivers’ explanation of the incident.
https://twitter.com/bernieolee/status/1621840061451964418
It was a bad situation all around in the Timberwolves game, as there is no place in the NBA for players to get into altercations like that.
Rivers ended up playing just 10 minutes in the game for Minnesota, finishing with zero points and one assist on 0-for-2 shooting.
Bamba had a bigger role for Orlando, playing 21 minutes. He finished the game with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.
Both players took to Instagram after the game to share their thoughts on the fight, with Bamba posting a meme to take a shot at Rivers.
wake up babe new fine just dropped pic.twitter.com/YlscOpYE8q
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 4, 2023
Rivers chimed in with an Instagram story that has since been deleted, calling Orlando “my city” in the process.
deleted now pic.twitter.com/3mbQNeJvmx
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 4, 2023
It’s unclear why Lee went to such lengths to take a shot at Rivers, but both Rivers and Bamba could be facing more discipline from the league for their actions on Friday night.
Luckily for Heat fans, the drama doesn’t have any impact on Butler’s squad. The Magic are well behind Miami in the Eastern Conference standings this season, and the Timberwolves are fighting for a playoff spot in the West.
Lee is obviously entitled to his opinion on the situation, and fans everywhere likely can agree that there is no reason players should be fighting like this during an NBA game or leaving the bench to engage with a player on the floor.
