Jimmy Butler, once hesitant about joining the Miami Heat, now envisions retiring with the franchise. His perspective changed when he played alongside Dwyane Wade on the Chicago Bulls.
In the early stages of his career, Jimmy Butler couldn't imagine himself ever wearing a Miami Heat jersey, but now his intention is to retire with the franchise.
Despite his initial reservations, Butler's perspective changed when he found himself playing alongside Dwyane Wade on the Chicago Bulls.
"When I'm coming into the league, the Heat used to beat the Bulls all the time when they had the Big 3, the Heatles, whatever you want to call them," Butler told ESPN's Malika Andrews. "So me getting drafted to the Bulls, we can't like the Miami Heat. You can't like D-Wade even though you went to the same school.
"Then you fast forward, and I'm playing with D-Wade with the Bulls, I'm like, 'This guy is not a bad guy.' It was just [Tom Thibodeau] that kept hitting me upside my head. And now, full circle, it'll be the last jersey that I wear."
Having spent the first six seasons of his career with the Bulls, Butler was eventually traded to the Timberwolves, followed by a move to the 76ers.
It was during the 2019-20 season that he found himself in Miami as part of a four-team deal.
Despite his individual achievements, including impressive performances in the playoffs, Butler is still in pursuit of his first championship title.
Currently, he is having the best statistical postseason of his career, averaging 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game.
Looking ahead, Butler and the Heat aim to maintain their momentum as they face Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. The series kicks off with Game 1 scheduled for Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET in Denver.
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