I told myself I wouldn’t write two basketball articles in a month, but I couldn’t help it. The news about Jimmy Butler was so fascinating to me that I just had to say something.
On Jan. 2, at a post game conference, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler said he wasn’t feeling the “joy” on the court anymore and wasn’t sure if that joy was going to come back to Miami.
The next day, the Miami Heat suspended Butler for seven games “for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks.” They also said that his “actions and statements” have shown he doesn’t want to be a part of the team and the Heat are open to listening to other offers.
A few days after Butler’s suspension, The National Basketball Players Association, a union that represents the players in the NBA, said that the suspension was “excessive and inappropriate.” They intend to “file a grievance” to challenge the motion. They haven’t updated their motion on this grievance, but according to Sports Illustrated, they tend to recuperate the $2.35 million that Butler lost over the suspension streak.
Several Heat players had something to say on the matter. Bam Adebayo said “It’s disappointing when you see an organization and a player going head to head.” Nikola Jovic said it was “weird” not seeing Butler around and Terry Rozier said the situation was “tough.” As you can see, LOTS and lots to say.
If we want to expand the trade drama even more, we have to go back to Dec. 11 when Shams Charania from ESPN tweeted that Butler was thinking of heading to Phoenix but Dallas, Houston, and Golden State were other possibilities.
Mind you, this was way before Butler said anything about wanting a trade. Because of that, Butler’s agent said that this claim was completely false and called the statements “bulls***.” Now that Butler has said these things and requested a trade, it turns out Charania was correct after all.
Going back to the semi-present, on Jan. 10, Butler posted a video on his Instagram story where he was speaking to a barista. He says: “I gave you a compliment. That’s what bosses do. We build you up, we don’t break you down,” flashing a smile and a thumbs up to the camera. Lots of speculation on the internet figured whether or not this was a jab at the Miami Heat– more specifically, Heat president Pat Riley.
In my eyes, the most important part of this video was not what he said, but the fact that he was wearing a Man United jersey. I can’t help but think that Jimmy Butler is feeling a lot like the soccer team as they fell to the brink of regulation and were somewhat villainized overnight by fans and media.
The story of Jimmy Butler seems to be expanding every day. Many people have inputted their two cents on the matter, where Butler will go, if teams are even interested, or how Butler could possibly be a United fan (ok, that one is me). This is one of the rare instances in which sports can show us that athletes technically have jobs. Some of the most powerful athletes in the world are working. They, just like us when we don’t like a job, either have to suck it up or find something else.
This is also an interesting instance in which social media tends to confuse the masses. Everyone has something to say in their own way. If someone gets a piece of the story wrong, they’re called a liar. If someone simply expresses their wishes, they’re ridiculed.
If you had to ask me (which you probably didn’t), I don’t feel bad for Jimmy Butler. He is a good player, a strong one if you will. His personality has always shown in the NBA– from his on the court attitude to channeling his inner emo kid on media day. If he’s smart and calculated with his trade, he’ll find a place that respects him as a player and person– whether that be in Milwaukie or Phoenix. The only thing he can’t do, which seems obvious but you’d be surprised, is go back to Miami.
You know when people say give a two-weeks notice before quitting so you don’t burn any bridges? Well, they should really say: don’t talk about how much you hate your job in front of the media, request to leave/be asked to leave, and then not have any other job prospects. You know, they should start saying this more often. You wouldn’t believe how many regular people do this.
I’m not saying that what Butler did was wrong. It’s him. But there are real consequences to real actions. If there isn’t a resolution soon, it could get really awkward. Now, after a month of drama and seven games, the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler have not issued an update. Butler is to return on Jan. 17 for a game against the Nuggets. Unfortunately, I don’t think he will play and I don’t think there will be a trade by then. The only thing to do now is to wait and see what happens.