Jimmy Butler sounds off on baseless Boston Celtics narrative
Jimmy Butler is making Boston Celtics fans roll their eyes, but not for his play on the court.
The Miami Heat's superstar is out indefinitely while nursing a sprained MCL. Without his timely scoring and relentless tenacity, it's hard to imagine the series extending much further. That may be why Butler decided to make the most of his limited camera time.
Butler threw pitiful jabs at the opposition during an in-game interview with Blacher Report's Chris Haynes, which capped off with a comical prediction.
"I think we believe, it's everybody else that doesn't," Butler said. "If I gotta hear one more praise about Boston on national TV when we win a game—I'm tired of hearing that man. It's 1-1, and we finna go up 2-1."
The Boston Celtics didn't need any more motivation
The Heat deserve credit for their Game 2 victory. They exploited a horrific game plan, poured in a franchise record 23 triples, and won on the road without their franchise cornerstone. It was wildly impressive.
It was also one game.
I don't know what cable provider Butler has, but people across the United States were privy to countless sports talk shows contemplating whether the Celtics were frauds for dropping the contest. Analysts outside the Boston market didn't call it a fluke because everyone else prefers to dunk on one of the most historic franchises in sports every chance they get.
When the Celtics lose, they are reminded of their previous shortcomings, as if they haven't consistently made deep postseason trips. It's naive to expect sweeps in every round. Even though they face an immense talent gap, Erik Spoelstra still draws up plays for Miami. They could trot out five guys from the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and I'd think they have a great chance of covering the spread.
The Heat stealing a win was probable, if not likely. So why should anyone pretend it wasn't? You shouldn't get praise for doing the bare minimum. It also doesn't lead SportsCenter. It's the NBA, not a charity.
Butler's whining felt like a fake rallying cry from a man out of touch with the world around him. His squad faces little backlash, largely due to their "Bad Boy Pistons" cosplay they've redubbed "Heat Culture." It's all a facade.
The core has won the same number of titles as Boston: zero. Butler is the cult internet hero who earned the nickname "Playoff Jimmy." That nickname felt apropos in the first round of last season's Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series against the Milwaukee Bucks. He was unconscious. But as the playoffs went along, Butler's numbers declined each series, culminating in one of the biggest duds in Finals history.
It's a shame Butler isn't suiting up for this series, so there's no lingering doubt about which team is superior. The rivalry has ignited a fire sorely lacking in modern basketball, but the discourse around it has grown tiresome. Even the players are failing to make sense.
Oh, Jimmy, I almost forgot; how did that prediction go?