The Miami Heat, having been to the NBA Finals in 2019-20, crashed out in the 1st round of the playoffs last season. In a bubble rematch, Miami faced eventual champions Milwaukee who put them away, sweeping them in quick succession. Following a season marred by injuries to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, GM Pat Riley was a busy man during the free agency.

Looking to maximise Butler’s prime, acquiring championship assets in Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker was a masterstroke. However, they also locked in arguably 2 of their Top 3 players in Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson for the foreseeable future.

Given Jimmy’s impact on the team and his mentality that resonates with Heat Culture, Riley wasn’t taking any chances, as he offered Butler the field in a lucrative 4-yr $184million contract extension to remain at South Beach until 2025-26.

WATCH: When Karl-Anthony Towns Brutally Trolled Jimmy Butler With Rachel Nichols’ Name Amidst Link-up Rumors

Here’s how Heat Nation amongst others reacted to the signing on Twitter –

Fans split over the Jimmy Butler extension

Jimmy Butler isn’t a LeBron James/Kevin Durant kind of star. However, his stint taking over the franchise following D-Wade’s departure has shown he’s the embodiment of “going through the struggle”.

Jimmy’s south beach connection

Butler is the perfect example of a conventional NBA player in the modern era. While he was being actively recruited by both Kawhi and LeBron to join their respective franchises in L.A, he chose the collapsing franchise.

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Jimmy Buckets, instead of heading into another Embiid-Simmons situation in LA, chose to be the Number 1 option. A messiah to a franchise that had just bid adieu to Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade. And to his credit, he delivered. Now, having signed a max extension with the Miami Heat, it will be intriguing to observe Riley’s mindset this season.

Jimmy Butler assumed the role of franchise leader in the Bubble and keept the roster together through an exhilarating ride. To top off those intangibles, his on-court performances never wavered, as he averaged 22.2/6.5/6.0 on 48% from the field and 85.8% from the line.

With Jimmy locked in till 2026 when he will be over 36 years old, Riley has given him and Adebayo all the arsenal they need for a journey to the promised land. However, whether they can recreate a winning culture which worked for them in 2019-20 remains to be seen.