Heat's Kevin Love reveals true motivation behind viral Jimmy Butler IG posts

Amidst all the drama with Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, the one source of levity throughout has been from a teammate making his mark on social media. Heat veteran Kevin Love has made a handful of social media posts on Instagram relating to the situation with Butler that has gone viral as he spoke to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald on the motivation behind them.

Certainly, there could be an argument for some fans that the situation with Miami and Butler has been a sad one but Love wants to bring “levity” to the situation. Consequently, that has been Love's main goal and there is no doubt that it has been “fun” for him to make.

“I do think there is, in a heavy situation or a time where it can be a dark cloud over everything, I think that that levity brings just a breath of fresh air,” Love said. “Guys get engaged in it and it’s fun. And the fan base gets engaged in it. They love it, the front office has been super cool about it, the coaching staff finds it funny, as well.”

“It’s been really fun to do,” Love continued. “That’s just how my brain works, as well, so when the fight [with the Rockets] first happened, that’s where it all started and I was like: ‘Oh, I can do this all the time and people love this.’ So as long as I’m not taking it too far, I can do this the right way and get the fans involved, now, I think just picking my spots and finding ways to keep it rolling.”

Heat's Kevin Love on conversations with Jimmy Butler

Such posts from Love included a clip from the 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street” captioned “LIVE LOOK — Jimmy after his meeting with Micky [Miami owner Mickey Arison] #getmyjoyback.” In the clip, the character says “I’m not leaving, I’m not [expletive] leaving” which Butler even liked on social media as Love also spoke about speaking with the player in close conversations.

“Just hearing him, listening, FaceTiming him, texting him like, ‘Hey, what do you need? Is there anything you need from me?’” Love said. “I come at it from a point of like, OK, forget the basketball component, like, how are you, really? And just, what do you need from me? Regardless of where the situation is or where it’s going to go or where it’s been in the past, right now, in this moment being present, what do you need from me? That’s all I’ve been doing for him.”

Love has many posts about the altercation involving Heat's Tyler Herro and the Houston Rockets, Butler's suspension, and many others that can be found on his Instagram account. Correspondingly, Butler spoke about Love's posts after the Heat lost to the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 17 on how “he's giving me a run for my money” about his pettiness.

Jimmy Butler on Kevin Love’s IG post.

“I laugh a lot…my happiness off the court is at an all-time high…I like Kev, but he not more petty than I am and he’s giving me a run for my money…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/k2nG8X1C7f

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) January 18, 2025

Subsequently, the Heat next face the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.