"I have nothing but respect for a guy that brings it every single night" - LeBron James gives Jimmy Butler his flowers for his work ethic

LeBron James knows how to appreciate an adversary. Especially if that opponent is Jimmy Butler.

James paid rich tribute to Butler's career after the 32-year-old superstar dropped 20 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists to help the Miami Heat edge past the LA Lakers in a 113-107 victory on Sunday night. It was Butler's 14th career triple-double, his third of the current season.

LeBron James, who tried to will the Lakers to a come-from behind victory in the game, had 33 points on 12-of-22 shooting (54.5%) and 11 rebounds in the contest against Miami.

The loss to Miami may have pushed the Lakers to a below 0.500 (23-24) regular season record. But James did not shy away from paying a rich tribute to Jimmy Butler for his all-round game on the night and career in general. He told the media after the game:

"Anytime you're playing this game throughout your career, there's certain guys that stick out. That you know when you step on the floor, it's going to be maximum effort every possession. ... That's been like that throughout Jimmy's whole career ... I have nothing but respect for a guy that brings it every single night, brings his hard hat, punches his clock, leaves it all out on the floor."

LeBron James and Jimmy Butler have squared-off previously in the 2020 NBA Finals

Jimmy Butler and LeBron James have been adversaries for the last decade ever since Butler was selected 30th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2011 NBA Draft. They have met no less than 25 times in the regular season, with Butler enjoying a better head-to-head record (16-9) against James.

But LeBron James has had greater success in the postseason. He has faced Butler in three playoff series and has come out victorious in each of these meetings.

James was part of a Miami Heat team that beat the Jimmy Butler's Chicago Bulls 4-1 in the 2013 Eastern Conference semifinals. He then had the better of Butler when the Cleveland Cavaliers bested the Bulls in six games in the 2015 Eastern Conference semifinals.

The final postseason meeting between the two star players took place in the 2020 NBA Finals. Butler by this time had joined James' former team, the Miami Heat, while LeBron had led the LA Lakers to their first Finals appearance since 2010.

Once again, LeBron James got the better of Jimmy Butler as he powered the Lakers to a 4-2 series win, picking up Finals MVP honors for his 29.8 ppg, 11.8 rpg and 8.5 apg. Butler finished on the losing side, but his triple-doubles in Games 3 and 5 of those Finals were nothing short of a superhero effort on his part to keep the series alive.

One gets the sense that LeBron's praise for Butler comes in light of that never-say-die attitude that the Heat player has come to embody over the years.