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Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler missed the first three games of the season due to the birth of his daughter. Luckily for Butler, he has Erik Spoelstra as his coach.
Butler admits Spoelstra, who is a father as well, made everything easier for him.
“I missed my opening night's game,” Jimmy Butler said during an appearance on Comedy Central, via the Sun Sentinel. “And so I was caught up like, ‘Oh, man, I really love basketball and I really love my family and I'm about to have a daughter and be a father, what do I do?”
That led to a conversation with coach Erik Spoelstra.
“And I called Coach Spo,” Butler said, “and he was like, ‘All right, we’ll see you in a couple of days. Go to the hospital.’ It made it easier for me.”
As part of a sign-and-trade deal between the Heat and Philadelphia 76ers, Butler signed a four-year, $141 million deal with the South Beach franchise. While a lot of pundits questioned Butler’s move, the 30-year-old forward and four-time All-Star is proving everyone wrong so far and has Miami playing elite basketball.
Butler is currently averaging 20.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He is also shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 82.3 percent from the free-throw line.
In the post-Dwyane Wade era, Miami president Pat Riley has found his new franchise player. Riley and Spoelstra are hoping Butler can lead the Heat back to promised land. Miami missed the playoffs in 2018-19 but is well on its way to making it this season.
The Heat are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference standings.
