USA Today via Reuters
Jan 9, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 9, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 9, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 9, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat had a fairytale run in the Orlando Bubble. After finishing as the 5th seed, they went on to beat the Bucks and the Celtics, to reach their first NBA Finals since 2014. Although they ended up losing, Jimmy Butler and his men became public favorites.
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Two years ago, he left the Timberwolves after asking for a trade. He then spent one season with the 76ers, before switching teams once again in the next season.
Throughout all this, he had earned a reputation of being a ‘villain’ in the NBA. But all this changed following the Heat’s Finals run in 2020. But Butler doesn’t care about what people think now, and he never did earlier too.
He said, “Now everybody has a different outlook on who I am as a person and as a teammate and as a player, and I’ve been that same dude since I’ve become somebody in the league.
“You just saw me win a couple of games, so now you want to try to change that narrative? I don’t care about none of that. It means that I’m going to go out there and I’m going to compete.”
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 4, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) is defended by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Darius Bazley (7) and guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports
Can Jimmy Butler lead the Heat to another Finals run?
During his time with the Timberwolves and the 76ers, he was vilified for wanting to win. He just wanted it more, and that’s why he tried to push the others around him. But both of those organizations failed to reciprocate this, and so he was termed a villain.
With the Heat, he found a group of players who were willing to go the extra mile like him. This hard work almost paid off, as they were just 2 games away from winning the NBA title.
Butler led from the front, averaging 22.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in the Playoffs. But sadly, they fell short.
But since then, the East has just become stronger. The arrival of Kevin Durant made the Nets the favorites, but the trade acquisition of James Harden sealed it. The Nets are now the team to beat in the East.
The Heat overcame the best team in the East last season too, so Butler’s men will be aiming to do it again.
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