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Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has opened up about the profound grief he experienced during the 2023-24 NBA season, as revealed in Netflix’s NBA series Starting 5. Over the past 18 months, Butler faced immense personal challenges off the court, including the devastating loss of his father, Jimmy Butler Jr., who passed away on February 8, 2024, after a battle with a terminal illness. Butler's emotional journey and the impact of this tragedy are highlighted in episodes 5 and 6 of the 10-part series.
“When you lose somebody who’s that dear to you and that’s taught you so much, that has seen you grow from a kid to a young adult to a star to the man that I am today as a father and then all of a sudden he’s not there anymore, I didn’t know what to do,” Butler shared during Episode 5. “No amount of money in the world could bring him back. Basketball, no matter how much I played it, it couldn’t fix that.”
Jimmy Butler’s father’s illness revealed before pivotal Game 7 in Eastern Conference Finals
Butler's father’s illness was first discovered during Miami’s 2023 playoff run. Between the Heat’s second-round series against the New York Knicks and their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Boston Celtics, Butler’s father began to experience symptoms that led to his terminal diagnosis. Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, revealed in the series that the diagnosis came just before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, a critical game for the Heat as they fought to avoid becoming the first team to lose a playoff series after being up 3-0.
“Before the game was supposed to start, that doctor called me and said they got the results back from the test and that his father’s health issue was going to be terminal,” Lee recalled. Faced with the decision of whether to tell Butler before the game, Lee chose to inform him immediately. “I want to know in that moment. I couldn’t live with not telling him that the second I knew it,” Lee explained.
Despite receiving the heart-wrenching news, Jimmy Butler delivered a stellar performance, scoring 28 points and leading the Miami Heat to victory in Game 7. The win secured Miami’s place in the NBA Finals, and Butler was named the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
Before the Finals, Butler made time to visit his father, who had watched the Heat's playoff run from Miami. “I hand him the [Eastern Conference Finals MVP] trophy, it gave him a different type of energy of like, ‘Yo, we’re going to beat this,’” Butler recalled.
Butler battles grief and injury as he honors his father’s legacy
On February 7, 2024, just a day before his father passed away, Jimmy Butler recorded a triple-double in the Heat’s 116-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He inscribed the date on his shoes and delivered them to his father in the hospital that night. Reflecting on the moment, Butler said, “It’s crazy that that triple-double was the last game that my dad was alive.”
Butler took a brief leave of absence from the Heat after his father's passing, missing the team’s final three games before the All-Star break. Upon his return, he admitted to struggling emotionally. “I want to always answer to that call. But I couldn’t care less about basketball right now,” Butler said in Episode 6. “As soon as that ball is done bouncing and I’m back home, it will all settle in.”
Despite his efforts to refocus, Butler’s grief weighed heavily on him throughout the remainder of the season. He also dealt with physical setbacks, including a sprained MCL, which forced him to miss the Heat’s first-round playoff series. Reflecting on his journey, Butler said, “It sucks to hurt. It sucks to lose people. But I’m very much human and I’m hurting right now.”
As Jimmy Butler prepares for the 2024-25 season, his focus has shifted. He now plays not only for personal success but also to honor his father’s legacy. “Now more than ever, I really don’t take anything for granted,” Butler reflected. “My dad was special. He’s not here, but I know he’s always going to be here.”
