Not only did Jimmy Butler not win against the Miami Heat, but he didn’t even play well as the Golden State Warriors' primary option.
Butler finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists on 41.7 percent shooting and missed both three-point attempts.
Despite one of the reasons he left the Heat being beyond his contract extension, Butler had issues with his role decreasing. Their two All-Stars, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, have taken over more responsibility leading the offense in the regular season. However, in a game without Stephen Curry due to injury, Butler had a mediocre performance similar to several he had as a member of the Heat this year.
On First Things First, Nick Wright explained how pleased he was to see Butler fail against his former team after quitting on them during the season.
“Jimmy Butler did not deserve to have a great game and stick it to Miami, ‘I won and you lost’,” Wright said. “Jimmy Butler screwed the Heat. Jimmy Butler is allowed to be this way, and it’s fine. People who watch this show know that I have really prayed at the altar of Playoff Jimmy and believing in the Heat, even when they’re the eighth seed. If they had pulled off the championship against the Nuggets, put his resume against Harden’s if he had won the title. All of that is true. This is also true: he was awful in his exit there.”
FIRST THINGS FIRST DEBATED JIMMY BUTLER CALLING HEAT CULTURE “OVERUSED”
The Miami Heat’s “Heat Culture” continues to make waves across the media, as many question the slogan's validity.
Throughout Jimmy Butler’s successful tenure in Miami, Heat Culture has been a way to summarize the organization's success. Despite the lack of overall talent, Butler led them to three Eastern Conference appearances and two Finals appearances. Each of those appearances had the most G-League and undrafted players for any team who made deep postseason runs in NBA history.
Ultimately, many believe the slogan has become worn out. In 2024, Heat fans questioned if Heat Culture had finally reached its limit after a mediocre regular season resulted in a first-round exit against the Boston Celtics. Before the matchup against his former team, Butler told the media he believed the slogan was “overused.” He thought it's more about players buying into a winning mindset.
On First Things First, Nick Wright and Chris Broussard shared differing opinions on the slogan's meaning and whether it is used too much.
“I agree with Butler on this because as much as there is a legitimate Heat Culture and it is great, it does get a little too much publicity,” Broussard said. “Heat Culture for the past five years is Jimmy Butler. Spoelstra is a good coach, but the Heat Culture existed before Spoelstra was the head coach. It is about Jimmy Butler because when he hasn’t been there, they haven’t done much in the playoffs. But when he’s there, they get to the finals.”
Nick Wright pushed back on the notion about Heat Culture only performs well with stars because of many undrafted players who stepped up in the playoffs.
“I agree they win championships just like everybody else,” Wright said. “However, let us not forget the Caleb Martin series and the Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson. Jimmy Butler was the best player and was great. He elevated his game, and it was great. And then it’s like oh my god, these role players are locked and dialed in.”
FORMER MIAMI HEAT PLAYER CLAIMS STEPHEN CURRY IS THE “BEST PLAYER EVER”
The GOAT debates usually involve four players: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Kobe Bryant. It's typically narrowed down to Jordan for his tenure as the greatest scorer in league history, and James because of his longevity and versatility.
However, Golden State Warriors legend Steph Curry solidified himself as the greatest shooter of all time and has entered the top 10 players of all time for many. At the very least, it’s undeniable that Curry’s impact on basketball has become a perimeter-oriented league. This has led to some former players saying he belongs in the GOAT debate, including former Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo.
“I would consider him as the best ever,” Oladipo said on The Inner Court podcast. “He’s changed the game completely, bro. I saw him, and I had to guard him. It’s really different. He has changed the game so drastically that guys shoot 50 threes a game now, and that’s only because of him. I’ll give Klay some credit, too. Their style of play in Golden State, but he changed the game completely. I gotta consider you one of the greats if you change the game like that.”
