Report: Jimmy Butler felt like Miami Heat weren’t ‘his team’ after they elevated Bam Adebayo..
Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat officially named big man Bam Adebayo their new team captain in 2023 as they began to navigate life without veteran big man Udonis Haslem as an active player.
The decision to give the honor to Adebayo was seemingly a popular one within the organization, but to veteran forward Jimmy Butler, it wasn’t that simple. Butler reportedly wasn’t upset about the decision but saw it as “validation” that the Heat weren’t his team, even if he was their best player.
“In late July 2023, Udonis Haslem, the Heat’s longest-tenured player, retired after 20 seasons in Miami,” wrote ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “For the past eight, though, he’d barely played, relegated to the bench to play a different role: to both promote and protect the culture he’d helped build, one that had fueled seven NBA Finals appearances and three championships. He was, quietly, the team’s captain.
“His departure created an opening to be the leader of one of the NBA’s most iconic, stable franchises.
“[Pat] Riley and [Erik] Spoelstra canvassed the organization, looking for a new keeper of the flame.
“It was unanimous, sources said. Everyone believed 26-year-old Bam Adebayo would be the right choice to carry on the legacy.
“Riley called him in for a meeting before the 2023-24 season to bestow the honor and make sure he understood the responsibility.”
Shelburne continued.
“Butler, who had just completed his fourth season in Miami and led the team to two NBA Finals, wasn’t upset by this choice, sources close to him said, but it did serve as validation,” wrote Shelburne. “He might be the Heat’s best player, but it wasn’t truly his team. Adebayo and young guard Tyler Herro were the Heat’s future, not him.
“The disconnect only grew. On the court, Butler began to believe that the Heat were prioritizing Adebayo and Herro over him, sources close to Butler said. They were the hub of the offense, and he was just supposed to run down to the corner and be ready to drive or shoot a 3-pointer.”
A source close to Butler chimed in.
“If they’re doing this transition to Bam and Tyler, Jimmy’s like, ‘Fine, do your transition,’” the source said. “If [he’s] going to be the second or third wheel, [he’ll] be that in Phoenix to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.”
With Butler’s Heat tenure seemingly nearing an end one way or another, it may not be long before Adebayo and Herro are the two driving forces in Miami.
The decision to name Adebayo the team captain might have given Butler some pause, but there are other factors to consider when looking at the move.
For example, Haslem was a homegrown talent who spent his entire NBA career with the Heat. Adebayo is also a homegrown talent, and he too has a chance to spend his entire NBA career with the Heat. It’s possible that Miami wanted to give the captain title to someone who fits that mold.
In addition, Adebayo still has lots of time left in the NBA. Butler, on the other hand, is getting up there in age. If the Heat had named Butler their team captain, they would’ve had to do the process over again at the end of his NBA career and given the title to someone else, like Adebayo.
There are so many factors that have contributed to the current state of affairs between Butler and the Heat, but somehow, the veteran remains in South Florida with the trade deadline less than a month away. Miami hasn’t been able to find a deal for him, and for that reason, he’s expected to return to action on Friday against the Denver Nuggets with his suspension over.
There could be more chaos ahead depending on how Butler’s return goes. For now, the Heat have to hope that he won’t cause any major disruptions as he rejoins the team, but history would indicate that he may very well make the situation even messier.
