Miami Heat star swingman Jimmy Butler has always embodied the spirit of an underdog.
Butler went from little-known high school prospect to an eventual standout at Marquette, and he has since become an NBA star after being a late first-round draft pick in 2011.
Now, with the Heat taking on the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, Butler is channeling that same rugged mentality. He feels his teammates have a similar approach, via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
“We don’t care who picks to lose in however many games. We’re going to go out there and compete, man. We know what we’re capable of. And at the end of the day, that’s all that matters, because we’re the ones that’s here,” the Heat star said. “We’re the ones that stuck in the hotel room. We’re the ones that’s out here practicing. We’re the ones that got to go out there and compete. So you pick and pretend you know what’s going to happen, but nobody does. We’re the ones that control that.”
The Heat have been on a roll as of late. Miami went just 3-5 during the seeding games, though they were rarely at full strength due to injuries and COVID 19-related absences.
Nevertheless, the South Beach franchise totally overwhelmed the Indiana Pacers in the first round, sweeping Indiana and controlling the tempo of all four games.
Jimmy Butler had previously been nursing a shoulder injury, but he said he is ready to go as they hope to pull off the upset. While there are plenty of NBA fans who believe the Heat can do just that, they are simply focusing on the things they can control.
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