One aspect of Jimmy Butler’s behavior continues to frustrate fans: his frequent and unexpected absences from games over his 13-year career. For Heat supporters, this has been a persistent sore spot. Recently, Jeff Teague offered insight into the complex reasons behind Butler’s inconsistent availability.
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On Bovada, he opened up about his former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate’s personality to the host, Vernon Maxwell. The 36-year-old initially lauded Butler’s unparalleled energy during each game. He recounted how Jimmy Buckets always tries his best on the court, regardless of the performances.
However, Teague then revealed how the strenuous NBA schedule sometimes took a toll on the 6x All-Star. During those occasions, Butler stayed true to himself, his teammates, and his franchise. The 2021 champion recalled how Butler would often pull himself out of games during those tough stretches.
“He gonna play as hard every game. That’s one thing I respect about Jimmy… He might not be scoring but his energy was just there. When he got on the court, he always had it and if he didn’t have it, he would sit out. He would be like, ‘Yo, I’m dead tired. I can’t play and I’m not gonna give y’all 100% tonight. I’m not gonna cheat y’all'”.
So Teague claimed that Butler would withdraw himself from contests whenever he felt like he couldn’t give it his all. The Heat star doesn’t like to go into the game if he is not able to leave out everything on the court.
This became the major factor behind his absences, aside from the injuries. It also led to him missing a significant number of games each season.
However, Butler’s absences still never overshadowed his talent. Fans were always confident in the quality Butler brought to the court every game. This became apparent during the Heat‘s 2020 run to the NBA Finals. The Houston-born averaged 22.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6 assists per game to take the franchise to the brink of a championship.
The 6ft 7 forward did it again three years later. He battled through the odds to help the Florida-based franchise go toe-to-toe against playoff opponents. His standout playoff average of 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game solidified his place as a modern-day great.
Although the Heat fell short of winning those championships, those runs left a lasting impact on NBA fans. When Butler missed the 2024 playoffs due to a knee injury, fans felt robbed of another spectacular stint of performances.
