Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler making headlines ahead of NBA restart

Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat has been making headlines this week on matters regarding social justice and his insane work ethic.

From being homeless at an early age to the NBA’s 2014-15 Most Improved Player, to now a 5-time All-Star, Jimmy Butler‘s rise to stardom has been fascinating. The star’s claim to fame has not caused him to forget that upbringing, and he wants to reflect on it in an interesting way with the Miami Heat during the restart.

While many players have decided to put a league-approved social justice message on the back of their jerseys ahead of the restart, Butler has decided to not only go without one but wants to leave his name off as well. When initially asked if he was going to wear a social justice message, Butler gave an eye-opening response.

"“I have decided not to,” Butler said on Tuesday during the Heat’s Zoom press conference with reporters. “With that being said, I hope that my last name doesn’t go on there as well. Just because I love and respect all the messages that the league did choose, but for me, I felt like with no message, with no name, it’s going back to, like, who I was. And if I wasn’t who I was today, I’m no different than anybody else of color and want that to be my message in the sense that just because I’m an NBA player, everybody has the same right, no matter what, and that’s how I feel about my people of color.”"

Butler stated that the league has not yet approved his request, but he is hoping they will do so in the near future. Several marquee players such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Joel Embiid, among others, have also decided to go without social justice messages, but seeing Butler’s nameplate entirely blank would be empowering, given the league signs off.

Onto the less significant news, Jimmy Butler received a visit from security within the bubble when someone reported him for a noise complaint in his room. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports and TNT, Butler, drenched in sweat, was dressed head to toe in practice gear when he answered the door. He had been dribbling a basketball and working out intensely inside his room during the initial quarantine period last week, irritating his neighbors in the process.

Given Butler’s track record over the years, this news should not come as a surprise to anyone. This is the same player who showed up to the Miami Heat’s first 10 a.m. practice at 3:30 a.m. to get a head start and establish the tone from day one. Considering this, perhaps Butler’s bubble workout took place in the early hours of the morning once again, when others were sound asleep.

Butler’s rugged leadership has undoubtedly rubbed off on his teammates, as this team’s mix of savvy veterans and ascending youngsters turned some heads this season. With all of their players participating, Butler believes that he and the Miami Heat could make some noise in the upcoming restart.

“People say that we have a group full of underdogs. Say what you will, but we got a group full of really good pros that love to hoop, love to compete, and we’re going to go out there and give it our all.

“Home, away, or neutral here at Disney, I think you can count on the Miami Heat bringing it.”

Matters on social justice, his work ethic, or whatever the case might be, Butler has never shied away from his robust personality, and not even the Orlando bubble will stop that. Never change Jimmy Butler, never change.