Butler and Pat Riley maintained regular communication despite being traded for O’Neal.
Butler was traded for O’Neal, but they continued to communicate frequently.
Caron Butler was initially part of the Miami Heat’s young core that had a lot of potential before the franchise acquired Shaquille O’Neal in 2004. Together with Dwyane Wade and Lamar Odom, Butler was starting to find his stride in the league until the Heat made the decision to let him and Odom go in order to trade for O’Neal.
Recently, Caron revealed how the day he found out he was going to get traded to the Los Angeles Lakers hit him hard.
That was one of the most depressing days of my life, man. being exchanged. In a recent interview with the “Knuckleheads podcast,” Butler acknowledged that this is when he first learned about the basketball business.
Butler learned about the exchange while traveling with the Heat.
Butler also disclosed that he learned of his impending trade to the Lakers shortly after returning from an antigua trip with the Heat staff. While he was moving through the airport, he overheard travelers and the news broadcasting on TV discussing Shaq being sent to South Beach.
Butler briefly believed that the Heat’s acquisition of O’Neal would enable them to dominate the NBA and ultimately bring home the franchise’s first title, but little did he know that he would not be playing for the club.
“Suddenly, someone said, ‘I think you and Lamar might be in the deal.’ I thought, “Damn,” D-Wade came to the crib and said, “Man, I don’t even want to play anymore,” after I moved next door to him. After that, it was verified,” Butler said.
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