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There's a specific reason why Jimmy Butler wears 22 for the Miami Heat.
When Butler signed with the Heat in 2019, he surprised quite a few when he decided to go with 22 as his jersey number. For the Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers, he notably wore 23 while for the Chicago Bulls, he wore 21.
However, he couldn't choose either of those two numbers while playing for Miami and explained why.
“21, I think is a wrap for me because that was my Chicago days. I'll never wear 21 again,” Butler said in a video posted on Instagram recently. “You can't wear 23 here because of MJ [Michael Jordan]. Literally, Pat Riley retired it.
“But I will say this — whenever I did come here, Pat told me that I could wear 23 but I said no. So 22 it is.”
"You can't wear 23 here because of MJ. Literally, Pat Riley retired it… Whenever I did come here, Pat told me that I could wear 23 but I said no. So 22 it is."
Jimmy Butler on his jersey number for the Heat
(via @JimmyButler/ IG)pic.twitter.com/WTsXd0KW6G
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 14, 2023
Butler also claimed in a previous 2020 interview that he chose 22 to honor his former teammate Taj Gibson at the Bulls who wore the same number.
“I played with one of the toughest individuals I’ve ever played with in my life — Taj Gibson,” Butler said. “He taught me so much about how to be a pro. Sometimes people choose numbers because of someone that inspires them, and Taj is one of those people.”
With 21 and 23 being out of the question, 22 certainly made the next best option.
Butler has certainly made that number his own since as he has become Miami's true franchise star, leading them to the NBA Finals in 2020 and three out of a possible four Conference Finals.
He and the rest of the Heat team will definitely be paying attention to Game 7 tonight between the Boston Celtics and Sixers to see who they'll face in the Eastern Conference Finals next.
