Caron Butler’s NBA career saw him play for nine teams and win an NBA championship.
But for Butler, his wild ride through the league that is now coming to an end will always trace back to his start with the Miami Heat and to its current president and former coach Pat Riley.
Butler, 37, announced Tuesday in a touching post on The Players Tribune that he is retiring from the NBA. None of it would be possible, Butler said, if not for a phone call and some tough love.
The Miami Heat selected Butler out of Connecticut with the 10th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, and Butler would play his first two seasons with the Heat.