Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler rocking an emo style at Media Day in 2023. Photo by Wilfredo Lee via AP Photo.
The New York Knicks are currently thriving under coach Tom Thibodeau, en route to their second consecutive trip to the Conference Semifinals in only the last twenty-five years. The rest of the league has seen their success this year, in particular Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat — though he was not too impressed with what he was seeing.
A video went viral on social media earlier this week following the Heat’s elimination at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Butler missed that series due to an injury sustained during the Heat’s Play-In game against the Philadelphia 76ers, but insisted in the video that his team would have beaten the Celtics if he was healthy.
Whether or not that would have happened remains unwritten history, as the Celtics knocked off the Heat in five games. The Heat did defeat them in seven games in last year’s Conference Finals, when Butler was healthy, but his absence this year did not detract from his confidence.
Addressing the Knicks
In the video, Butler also addressed the Knicks, claiming that he and the Heat would have beaten them in the Conference Finals this year as well. He also seemingly mocked Josh Hart and addressed Tom Thibodeau, whom he played for when he was on the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017 and 2018 (Thibodeau coached those teams).
Now, Thibodeau has responded to Butler’s comments, saying that he would “beat him to a pulp.” Of course, the exchange comes as light-hearted banter as the two assumingly possess a mutual respect for one another.
The Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA playoffs a few nights ago. New York will seek to make it to the Conference Finals as Butler predicted, by defeating the Indiana Pacers in the Semifinals.
The Knicks will most likely be seeking to add another superstar to their lineup during the offseason, with a boatload of first-round picks at their disposal. However, it is unlikely that Butler will be one of the candidates, as he is 34 years old with one year remaining on his contract before he can opt out. Weirder things have happened, though.
