NBA Finals: 25 greatest performances in NBA Finals history: 6. Jimmy Butler becomes a star overnight
It was the definition of David vs Goliath.
During the 2020 NBA playoffs, a lot of wacky things were taking place. The regular season took roughly a four-month hiatus due to COVID-19 and once things returned, there was no home-court advantage for anyone due to the lack of crowds in the stands.
Somehow, someway, the Miami Heat found themselves in the finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. In what was perceived as the biggest mismatch in finals history, the Heat were quickly down 2-0 and the broomsticks were all anyone could talk about.
Regardless of having both Anthony Davis and LeBron James on the court, Jimmy Butler was far and away the best player. On the night, Butler hung 40 points on the head of the Lakers to go along with 11 rebounds and 13 assists. The Heat needed everything that Butler gave them as they took home Game 3.
Immediately following the win, Butler, traditionally known as a good but not great player, was being mentioned as a possible superstar in the making. With his 40 piece triple-double, Butler became only the third player in NBA history to pull it off.