Ohm Young Misque
MIAMI – Jimmy Butler III sat on the Golden State Warriors bench and watched a nearly 40-second video of Miami Heat highlights playing on the big screen above him at the Caseya Center.
From his iconic hunting over in the 2020 NBA Finals, moments inside fatigue, to some of his other hits from over five seasons in the heat, Butler saw the tribute.
When the video ended, Butler was featured as the last warrior announced in the starting lineup by Miami’s public address announcer. Butler raised his arms into the air as a sign of gratitude to the fans who supported him.
The Heat then revived Butler in a 112-86 defeat via the Stephen Curryless Warriors, before a sold-out crowd of 19,897.
“I got a lot of love in town here for my fanbase,” Butler said. “The video was good. I’m not saying there was a lot of emotion. I think I flattened this. We wanted to win the game. That wasn’t the way we planned. We’re fine.
“…I mean (the video) is back to a good time when I was wearing a Miami Heat jersey, and I’m very grateful for that time.
Butler was booed most of the time when he touched the ball, but after missing five of his first six shots he finished with 11 points, six rebounds and two assists. All Miami’s starting five were scored with double figures led by Bamu Adebayo’s 27 points and eight rebounds.
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The only thing that didn’t work for Miami that night was that the hype video that preceded the announcement of the lineup was played without audio. Heat fans chanted “Let’s Go, Heat!” and provided their own soundtrack.
“We had no sound so we didn’t know what was going on before the game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said when asked how much more vibe for Butler’s return had been. “So I was wondering what was going on. Miami, it’s a great place to live, so people don’t seem to be too excited around here. They’re living a good life.
“It’s typical of Miami, and I think the main part of Jimmy’s return is that the heat was ready and (Miami coach Eric Spelstra) was ready. It means shooting 3-25-17.
The Warriors began this six-game road trip with two consecutive losses in Atlanta and Miami. Curry missed both with pelvic conspiracy, but Kerr says he expects the franchise’s star to play in his next game in New Orleans on Friday.
“We’re alive, we’re in the fight and we’ve got 10 games. I can’t wait. “Friday is the biggest game of the year for us. We’ve been through two games in a row and lost a very bad performance. We’ve been able to bounce back in the future. That’s what a good team does.
Butler wanted a terrible victory back to Miami. He said he caught up with several members of the Heat, like former teammate Kevin Love. But he also said that his chapter was over.
Butler was traded to warriors by the heat before the trading deadline after the All-Star expressed his desire to be traded. Butler wanted an extension of his contract, but the partnership began to deteriorate when he said he wasn’t playing with joy anymore in his situation. Miami stopped him multiple times for various violations before he was traded.
Butler signed a two-year, $111 million contract extension when he was traded with the Warriors, and spoke repeatedly about how his joy has returned and how much he feels his team wants.
He has visited coffee shops in Miami for the past few days, played dominoes with friends, and most importantly spent time with his family and children.
“The chapter is over,” Butler said of his time in the heat. “What I say is, when you look down on the path, it’s just a big part of my career, I always say I’m very grateful.
“So I keep saying I’m very grateful. I’m not misguided by anyone. I’m always grateful for the opportunity. A lot of fanbase. …It’s not bad. It’s not all bad.”
