Jimmy Butler clarifies he has no ‘Beef’ with Nikola Jokic after Heat-Nuggets altercation in 2021

Jimmy Butler, whose Miami Heat will take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, addressed an incident that involved the two stars when their teams played each other last season.

In the 2021-22 season, Jokic was part of an altercation that was talked about for some time. The incident started when Markieff Morris committed a foul on the two-time MVP. Jokic, who wasn't a fan of how the foul happened, retaliated and the two teams started an on-court mess.

Before Game 1 on Thursday, Butler made it clear that he and Jokic aren't the ones who have bad blood.

"I don't think so," Butler said when asked if the bad blood between the teams. "I think there's a lot of stuff about the whole situation that people don't understand, and I'll let that stay back there. But I don't think it has too much to do with anything. It's in the past. High-level competition.

"I will say, I wasn’t talking to Jokic. That wasn’t my beef. The individual who I was talking to definitely knew who I was talking to."

Following the incident, Jokic was suspended for a game for pushing Morris from behind. Morris was fined $50,000 by the NBA for his involvement.

The two teams seem to have high spirits as they go against each other in the finals.

While the incident was being reviewed, Butler talked to a player from the Nuggets' bench. For the longest time, most people thought he was talking at the two-time MVP, who was sitting on the bench trying to cool off.

You might also be interested in reading this: "I'm gonna say Miami in 6" - Reggie Miller proclaims Miami Heat's title hopes are contingent on Jimmy Butler's consistency

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Jimmy Butler addressed his ankle before Game 1 of the NBA Finals

Jimmy Butler

During Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday, there were two stars who had ankle problems. The Boston Celtics had to carry on with an injured Jayson Tatum. The Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler rolled his ankle in the game, but insisted in staying in the game to finish the job.

When asked how his ankle is doing, Butler said that he won't use his injury as an excuse.

"Nobody cares," Butler said. "You don't, either. I'm still expected to do my job at a high level if I take the floor, which I will. We're going to be OK. We're going to get the job done, bum ankle or not."