The Miami Heat fell short of expectations during the 2024–25 NBA season, failing to meet the standard set in recent years with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro leading the charge. The franchise’s image has taken a hit since trading Butler, and Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce didn’t hold back in his assessment.
Speaking on KG Certified’s Ticket & The Truth, Pierce said the Heat must reestablish their identity if they hope to return to title contention after reaching the NBA Finals twice in five seasons (2020, 2023).
If you want people to come to Miami, if you want to turn it back around, you’ve got to update the culture—because that culture right now is running people away,” Pierce said. “I saw Bam [Adebayo] say there are going to be changes coming from ‘the guy with the white hair.’ It even looks like Heat Culture is dead. You’ve got to reset that. Change the rules, rewrite the bylaws, update everything.”
The state of the Heat has been a major talking point all season, especially after the controversial departure of Jimmy Butler—who had led Miami to deep playoff runs and carried them to the NBA Finals.
Kevin Garnett chimed in, suggesting that the team’s reputation might now impact its ability to attract top-tier talent. Pierce agreed, pointing to the Butler situation as a cautionary tale.
“Yeah, but what star is going to want to come there after what happened to Jimmy Butler?” Pierce replied. “Now he’s thriving in Golden State. He could’ve been down there pushing them past Cleveland. That’s the kind of player you don’t just let walk.”
Despite an underwhelming regular season and early playoff exit, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra emphasized the team’s resilience and late-season improvement.
“A lot of lows—probably more lows,” Spoelstra admitted after the Game 4 loss. “But the thing I’ll always remember about this group is that with all the adversity we fought through, we ended up playing our best basketball. We were a few plays away from winning eight straight, maybe even 10. That close. It could’ve been a great story.”
