Toward the latter part of last season, Jimmy Butler got into a now-infamous sideline spat with Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and veteran teammate Udonis Haslem. It was actually more than just a simple spat, with players having to hold coach Spo back as he tried to have a go at Butler during a heated timeout.
As expected, Haslem came to the defense of his coach and he too got involved in a shouting match with Butler on the bench. Everyone involved eventually settled their on-court beef and the incident was water under the bridge not long after.
In a recent interview with ESPN anchor Malika Andrews, Haslem spoke out about his current relationship with Jimmy Butler. According to the Heat vet, what went down between himself and Butler during that game was actually nothing out of the ordinary:
“Me and Jimmy are just alike,” Haslem said. “I see so much of myself in Jimmy. We play the game with a controlled rage, and every now and then that controlled rage gets uncontrolled.
“… We play one-on-one every day before every game. What people saw that night, that's just every Tuesday in Miami with me and Jimmy. Every day it's competition at the highest, highest level.”
Haslem also revealed that he uses Butler as a barometer for his stature with the team and in the NBA as Haslem enters his 20th season in the league:
“That’s another way I know I can stick around,” Haslem said. “If I can go out there and compete with Jimmy Butler, which people see what he's able to do in the Finals, then I know I can still stick by and play this game.”
I loved this answer from @ThisIsUD on Jimmy Butler: “I see so much of myself in Jimmy. We play the game with a controlled rage…
We play one on one every day before every game. That’s another way I know I can stick around. If I can go out there and compete with Jimmy Butler…” pic.twitter.com/w6GxtnKTpX— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) October 14, 2022
Unlike Jimmy Butler, though, the Heat won't expect Haslem to play significant minutes on the floor night in and night out. However, there's no denying that Haslem will be playing an equally important role in the locker room this coming season.
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