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The entire basketball world already knows that Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler will never shy away from confrontation. He was famously reported to have yelled “you (expletive) need me; you can’t win without me” at then-Minnesota GM Scott Layden during his forgetful stint with the Timberwolves back in 2018.
He was seen yelling again with 1:13 left in Game 3 after putting his team up by nine points via a floater over Los Angeles Lakers forward Markieff Morris. He shouted “You’re in trouble!” at least three times while heading to the Heat’s bench and seemingly towards the direction of Lakers star Lebron James.
As Jimmy Butler explained afterward that those were the exact words that James had yelled to him when they exchanged words at the end of the first quarter. The former Marquette standout insisted that he was only returning the favor to the four-time NBA MVP, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“First of all, we’re not going to act like I’m just out there talking trash, because I’m not,” he said. “’Bron said it to me at the end of the first (quarter) — that’s what happened. I just said it to him in the fourth quarter.”
Former Chicago Bulls teammate Dwyane Wade later approved of Butler's trash-talking antics after icing the win for the Heat.
“Talk yo sh*t, JIMMY!!!!” he tweeted.
The five-time NBA All-Star had every right to do so after he came out with 40 points coupled with 13 assists and 11 rebounds. He now joins an exclusive list consisting of LeBron James and Jerry West as the only players to have a 40-point triple-double in the NBA Finals.
But Butler can't do it alone. The entire Heat squad will need to come out with the same fire and aggressiveness if they want to steal another victory and even the series to two games apiece. The two teams will go head-to-head in a crucial Game 4 of the 2020 NBA Finals slated on October 6.
