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Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat will open the NBA Finals on the road against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. After everything his team had gone through to reach this stage, he is going to give it his all in trying to win his first championship.
“Jimmy Buckets” had this to say when asked about his status heading into Game 1 (via Anthony Chiang):
"No, I'm not gonna lie. I'm gonna say that nobody cares. You don't either. I'm still expected to do my job at a high level if I take it forward, which I will. We’re gonna be okay, we’re gonna get the job done, bum ankle or not.”
Jimmy Butler sprained his right ankle in Game 1 of the semi-finals against the New York Knicks. He still finished the game and led the Miami Heat to the win. The six-time All-Star, however, missed the following game as he recovered from the said injury.
In Game 7 against the Boston Celtics in the ECF, Butler tweaked the same ankle and slightly hobbled on his way to eliminating the former Eastern Conference champs. Last season, the Heat had a very good chance of reaching the NBA Finals until Butler’s knees refused to cooperate.
Jimmy Butler won't allow a rolled ankle to derail him from the next job, which is to give Miami its fourth championship in franchise history.
Even with a healthy Butler, the Miami Heat are heavy underdogs against the Denver Nuggets. Miami will be in a ton of trouble if their best player and leader is compromised by a bum ankle.
The NBA championship is all that matters to Jimmy Butler
Butler shrugged off the chance to hold the Eastern Conference trophy when teammate Bam Adebayo handed it off to him. “Jimmy Buckets” said he would rather hold the next one if the Miami Heat accomplish what they have set out to do.
Butler’s accomplishments are nothing to snicker at. He is already one of his generation’s best, particularly when the playoffs come. The biggest accolade lacking in his trophy cabinet is an NBA championship.
Here’s what he had to say to ESPN’s Malika Andrews on what he is chasing in his career:
“It wasn’t disrespect because I love Bam [Adebayo] and I’m very grateful to be able to win the Eastern Conference championship. I have done that before, I have. I wanna win an NBA championship. That’s the reason why they put this squad together.
“I don’t play for the Eastern Conference Finals, MVP. I wouldn’t play for the finals MVP, couldn’t care less. I play for Mr. O’Brien.”
Jimmy Butler had the chance to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy but was beaten in six hard-fought games against LeBron James and the LA Lakers. The Tinseltown team will not be standing in his way this year.
Miami’s opponents may even be stronger than the one that beat them in 2020. The Denver Nuggets, led by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, are considered to be the best since the 2018 Golden State Warriors.
On paper, the Nuggets are runaway favorites, but the Heat have emphatically shown that games are not won on paper. Basketball fans can ask the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, who were all favored to win their matchups, what it’s like facing the Miami Heat this postseason.
Also read: Watch: Winner of Heat vs Nuggets series predicted by viral Corgi dog ahead of 2023 NBA Finals
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