The Miami Heat fans now regard Jimmy Butler as their enemy No. 1. The dislike largely stems from Butler’s desire to leave the franchise, and how vocal he has been in the media about it. This behavior has been taken as an insult to the team so much so that his contributions to the franchise have been undermined or brushed aside by many. NBA Insider Marc Stein, however, believes fan sentiments should not tarnish Butler’s legacy in Miami.
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On the All-NBA show, Stein defended the six-time All-Star from criticism, pointing out that Butler has been just as influential for the Heat as LeBron James was during his stint from 2011 to 2014.
“He’s been as good a player for the Heat as really anybody else you wanna talk about for that franchise. You know Lebron James led them to 2 championships, but Jimmy Butler hasn’t had an in-his-prime Dwyane Wade at his side,” said Stein.
Butler has not won a title for the Heat while LeBron won two championships.
However, Butler did take the Heat to two Finals in the last five years, ever since he joined them in 2019. Stein also mentioned 2022, reminding everyone that the Heat were a few missed shots away from reaching the Finals that year, too.
“In the first five seasons, he took that team to the Finals twice. And he was one shot away from doing it three times… But you really have to say. You saw that Heat team in the finals against the Nuggets. There was a significant talent difference there. That was an 8th seed he hauled to the finals,” added Stein.
The Insider, however, also acknowledged that things have been “nasty” between the Heat and Butler of late.
Butler won’t back down from Pat Riley
Since the start of his career, Butler has been seen as someone who would never give up, no matter what the odds are. This quality has made him a fan-favorite in every team he went to. That is till things soured. Stein claimed it’s the same factor — the inherent stubbornness — that is at play in the Heat-Butler standoff.
Pat Riley is famously stubborn too. And Jimmy happens to be one of the only people in the league who wouldn’t back down against Riley.
“Jimmy is just as stubborn as Pat. If he decided he’s leaving, there is no one on earth who can change his mind, and that’s what we’re seeing,” said Stein.
Given that he’s now 35, Butler will want to move to a team that has an immediate chance to contend for the title. And he is going about it aggressively since he probably knows deep inside that negotiating with Riley is not quite a winning proposition.
