As the Miami Heat take on the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, it will no doubt be a meaningful game for a lot of obvious reasons. Jimmy Butler takes on former teammates and Heat stars Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo while people remember the messy breakup between the forward and the team though his agent has a message for fans that are still reeling from that situation.
Whether it be Pat Riley telling Butler to “keep your mouth shut,” the multiple suspensions, the question of effort on the court, and many other transgressions, there was a plethora of issues with the end of the relationship between both parties. While it finally ended before the deadline when Butler was traded to Golden State, some of those feelings of heartbreak could be back Tuesday night as agent Bernie Lee hopes the matchup is “cathartic for everyone” according to The Miami Herald.
“My hope is Tuesday is cathartic for everyone,” Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, said to the Miami Herald ahead of Tuesday night’s matchup between the Heat and Warriors. “If you have some anger in your heart, get it out. Get it all out. But once that’s all released, my hope is we get to the next step, which is appreciation. Appreciation for a pretty incredible five years together.
“One unfortunate aspect of sports is the amount of change. Nothing ever stays the same and everything has a time limit. We hit ours, but once we get a bit of distance from the separation, what will hopefully remain is a really immense feeling of accomplishment and the profound connection Jimmy had with this city and community at large. He was the right person at the right time. And over time, I think more and more, we will all see and appreciate that.”
Heat looks to stop Jimmy Butler and Warriors' momentum
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) during the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center.
John Hefti-Imagn Images
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With the Heat coming off a 10-game skid, the team could receive a ton of momentum towards the end of the season with a win against a team like the Warriors who have excelled with Butler. So far, Golden State is 16-4 with Butler and has been rising in the standings as head coach Steve Kerr complimented him endlessly on Monday.
“He has been amazing,” Kerr said. “He’s one of the best players in the league. He has instantly transformed our team. We’re 16-4 since we got him. He’s a very unique talent. He’s a superstar, but he’s a subtle superstar. He doesn’t wow you with his leaping ability or shooting prowess or speed. It’s just his brute strength and his brain. He is one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around. His ability to just generate open shot after open shot is impressive and he’s obviously a great two-way player. He’s a hell of a defender and we’re lucky to have him.”
“As soon as [Butler] got here, we started winning,” Kerr continued. “And it wasn’t anything about strategy, it was about the guys learning how to play around him. That’s what we have to focus on. It actually simplifies things, as long as we’re spaced well, just get him the ball and he’s going to get us a good shot.”
Miami looks to quiet the noise as they are 30-41 which puts them 10th in the East.