Before Jimmy Butler came in South Beach, he and the Miami Heat were a match made in heaven. Butler has guided the Miami Heat to two NBA Finals and one Eastern Conference Finals in four seasons.
More recently, he led a Play-In 8th seed to the NBA Finals by pulling off upset after upset against the best of the East.
The Heat’s historic playoff run was cut short in five games by Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
Butler is a four-time All-Star who was named to the NBA All-Star squad last season.
He scored more than 90(!) points in the final two games of the Milwaukee Bucks playoff series, which Miami won in five games.
This includes a 56-point outburst in game 4 inside the Kaseya Center, where Butler reminded the world that he is definitely “him” and “that guy.”
With the Heat’s offseason stalled owing to Damian Lillard’s trade request, Butler recently went China and was interviewed.
In the interview, he said, among other things, that he “doesn’t plan on playing for another NBA team after the Miami Heat.”
These quotes are everything a fanbase might desire from its franchise athlete.
Heat Nation watches all of the work this man puts in behind the scenes to continue to improve his game at the age of 33.
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On the court, Jimmy Butler is a hound, an alpha, especially in important games and situations. This past season, he finished second in the league’s first Clutch Player of the Year award.
Nobody should question that this man CAN assist lead this team to its fourth franchise championship.
Everyone has seen what Butler can do in a playoff setting when surrounded by the right components.
He may be in a 2-3 year title window when he can be the offensive leader, or at least one of them.
The time has come. It remains to be seen whether reinforcements (Lillard) will arrive, but this is a roster that certainly possesses the coaching, culture, and formula to win a championship.
Butler has accomplished much in his career, but the one thing he lacks on his resume is a title.
Only time will tell if that is true, but with a player like Butler on the roster, this Heat team can compete for several more years.