Jimmy Butler may not be playing in the Eastern Conference first-round series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, but he is very much setting his team’s mentality from the sideline.
Butler spoke to Chris Haynes on TNT just before tipoff Saturday and was asked if he had a message for Heat fans who might be doubting whether the team can overcome the Celtics without Butler in the lineup. Butler dismissed the question and instead called out the national media for being dismissive of the team’s chances.
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 27, 2024
“I believe that we do.” Everyone else doesn’t, according to Butler. “Dude, I’m sick of hearing people applaud Boston every time we win a game on national television. It’s 1-1, and we’re going to win 2-1.
Butler is entitled to express that. In the second game, the Heat defeated the East’s top seed 111-101, which is one more victory than many analysts had predicted. The fact that Miami succeeded without Butler can only boost the Heat’s self-assurance.
Whatever Butler says, there is no denying that the Heat are the underdogs. He will still be stirring the pot despite his knee injury keeping him out of commission for some time.
