Amid all the whispers that Jimmy Butler is not an ideal locker-room presence, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra says the small forward is a “very likable” guy.
Per Nick Fridell of ESPN, Spoelstra dismissed rumors that Butler is a locker-room cancer.
Spoelstra on Butler: "Jimmy, despite probably what the narrative is out there, he's a very likable guy in the locker room and I think that helps in a setting like this."
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) September 1, 2020
The whispers originated from the now-infamous practice session with the Minnesota Timberwolves during Butler's stint there. Reports revealed that he talked trash to almost everyone: the young guns Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, and even to the front office.
The tension got so heated that the Wolves had no choice but to trade Butler away to the Philadelphia 76ers. With the 76ers, Butler did well, helping the team reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Despite this, whispers still circulated around the league that Butler did not really mesh well with the team. Analysts believe that the 76ers have all the talent to win it all but chemistry issues prevented them from fulfilling this potential.
These fears remained when Butler joined the Heat. While Butler is a bona fide star in the league, analysts believed that his tumultuous past with the Wolves and 76ers may come to haunt the organization.
But then, as the season progressed, Butler seemed to co-exist well with his teammates and coaching staff. His friendship with rookie Tyler Herro has been well-documented. And more importantly, the Heat are piling up the victories and are even considered the dark horse to win the elusive Larry O'Brien trophy.
The Heat lead the series 1-0. Game 2 between the Bucks and the Heat will be on Wednesday.
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