This 8th-seeded Miami Heat team has overcome arguably the top two teams (Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks) in a playoff run for the ages. They have beaten the odds more than once to reach the NBA Finals, and Jimmy Butler deserves a massive chunk of the credit. This would be Butler’s second Finals appearance in four years. His only goal as of this moment is the Larry O’Brien trophy. Everything else is secondary.
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After the Heat beat the Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Jimmy Butler was named the Most Valuable Player of the series. Jimmy stood there with a straight face and showed the world that the job is not done. When his teammate Bam Adebayo passed the Eastern Conference Winner trophy to him, Jimmy refused to touch it. You can take a look at what happened in the tweet by Clutchpoints below.
“I’ll hold the next one.”
Jimmy Butler to Bam Adebayo after being offered the ECF trophy 🔒🔥pic.twitter.com/1ZG0zOSmy8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 30, 2023
Jimmy Butler’s eye is on the big prize
Jimmy Butler is like the cheetah in the forest, unbothered by everything around him, only focused on his prey. He has been eyeing it, studying it, and waiting for the right moment to pounce. That is exactly how Butler is viewing the NBA Championship. He could care less about the journey and the success in between. So when ESPN host Malika Andrews asked him about the moment in an exclusive interview, here is what he said, as per Clutchpoints.
“That’s how I view it. I have won the Eastern Conference Finals before. I want to win an NBA championship. That’s the reason why they put this squad together. I don’t play for the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. I won’t play for the Finals MVP. I could care less. I play for Mr. O’Brien.”
“That’s how I view it… I’m very grateful to be able to win the Eastern Conference, but I’ve done that before… I play for Mr. O’Brien… I really only want to win a championship.”
Jimmy Butler on not taking the ECF trophy from Bam Adebayo 🏆pic.twitter.com/HJHlYQMnKh https://t.co/dLUz4ovOE1
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 31, 2023
Those words are of a man who has been waiting for this moment and is ready to make it count. Jimmy has taken his game to the next level in the 2023 playoffs averaging 28.5 points, 7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 17 games. In his interview with Malika, he further established his goal and said it has remained the same since he touched a basketball:
“Everytime I play basketball. The end goal, the end result I want it to be, is the championship trophy. You can take the All-Stars, don’t wanna be a part of it anyways. You can take the All-NBA, could care less. All-defensive teams, don’t care. I only really want to win a championship.”
Jimmy’s performance in the previous Finals appearance
In 2020, the Miami Heat rallied to reach the NBA Finals, where they met the LeBron James-led Lakers. Unfortunately for them, they wouldn’t come away as the victors. However, things do seem to be different now. After all, this Miami side looks far more robust. And with it, Jimmy will be fighting tooth and nail for a different outcome. One that wins them the NBA championship once the 2023 NBA Finals come to a close.
In 202o, Butler averaged an impressive 26.2 points, 9.8 assists, and 8.3 rebounds in 6 games of the NBA Finals. However, it did not prove to be enough to take them over the hump. The Heat squad has undergone a few changes since then, with the addition of undrafted players like Max Strus and Gabe Vincent performing at an elite level. However, while this roster has shown its resilience on the court, it is still Jimmy Butler that will have to take them over the top. Can he do it this time?
