There are few better fits in the NBA right now than Jimmy Butler with the Miami Heat. The guy pretty much embodies what this franchise stands for.
This is exactly why it's quite shocking to learn that at one point in his career, Butler actually hated on the Heat. The 32-year-old recently came to a confession about his ill feelings towards Miami during his earlier years in the NBA:
“I’ve got so much love for Chicago,” said Butler, via Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “That’s where I first learned to hate the Miami Heat. And then when I left, I learned to love the Miami Heat, and the way that they do things.”
Butler, who was drafted by the Bulls as the 30th overall pick in 2011, spent the first six seasons of his career in Chicago. The Heat happened to be one of the Bulls' biggest rivals in the East, which explains why Butler's competitive nature had him hating on Miami.
At one point, Butler even stated that he would never put on a Miami Heat jersey. The five-time All-Star made this remark back in 2013. According to Jimmy, however, there was a bit of a prophetic twist to it:
“I knew I was going to end up here way back then,” Butler said.
“So I said it then just so I could make the tabloids think I could predict the future.”
True enough, Butler did end up in Miami. He ended up taking a long route which included stops in Minnesota and Philadelphia, but in the end, he would eventually find his home in Miami. In 2019, Butler signed a massive $141 million, four-year deal with the Sixers as part of a blockbuster sign-and-trade deal that would see him taking his talents to South Beach.
Right now, Jimmy Butler lives and breathes Miami Heat. It truly is funny how destiny works out. I guess the big takeaway here is that when it comes to the NBA, never say never. For Butler, this was a lesson he learned the hard way. He ended up doing exactly what he said he never would several years ago. Then again, he clearly has no regrets about it.
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