Getty Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Jimmy Butler is one of the most competitive players in the NBA, blending his unique size and strength to create mismatch nightmares for his opponents.
However, Butler is also a true professional and is capable of humility in defeat. Following the Boston Celtics game seven win over the Miami Heat on Sunday, May 29, Butler reminded everyone of his softer side, as he lauded the growth of ALL-NBA wing Jayson Tatum.
“He does everything. Shoots the ball, can play in the pick-and-roll, passes the ball incredibly well, and gets out in transition. He’s a superstar. And he deserves that, they deserve the win, I wish him the best moving forward. But, he’s one hell of a player, that’s for sure,” Butler told reporters following the game.
Tatum ended the series against Miami averaging 25 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 46.2% from the field and 35.3% from deep, earning him Eastern Conference Finals MVP as a result.
Ime Udoka Leads Praise for Celtics
Following the game, the Boston Celtics shared a video showing Ime Udoka addressing his team in the locker room, with some NSFW taking place from an excited young core. During his speech, Udoka praised his team’s resiliency but reminded them of the expectations that come with donning a Celtics uniform.
tonight we celebrate ☘️☘️☘️
“First of all, we do not hang banners for Eastern Conference Championships in this organization. We’ve got bigger plans, you know what it is, four more. Hell of a job, though, what we do well, turnovers, rebounds, all of those things that hurt us in other games, we took care of in this game…Everybody gutted it out, and who are we? Road Warriors, we’ve been doing it all year, had to make it interesting,” Udoka told his team.
Udoka, in his rookie year as a head coach, he proceeded over one of the most successful seasons in recent Celtics history and is one series away from giving the Celtics their first NBA Championship since 2008, despite having to navigate a treacherously slow start to the season.
Celtics Twitter Goes Into Meltdown
Making the NBA Finals has been a long time coming for this Celtics team, and has been littered with obstacles along the way. So, as you would expect, when Boston overcame the Heat to book their place at the big dance, social media went into meltdown.
Cs are in the mother fucking NBA Finals.
I love NBA @celtics . I am talk on all friend game 1 FINALS. thank you is janos.
Good news for my fellow Celtics fans: It wasn’t a dream! We’re really going to the NBA Finals!”@DanKelley66 wrote on Twitter.
Bet you most Celtics fans would tell you the player they’re happiest for is Big Al,” @FitzyGFY Tweeted.
As Jaylen & I said THE ENERGY IS ABOUT TO SHIFT! Well Celtics family it’s official – SHIFTED! 🙌🏽💚🏀☘️ WE ARE ONTO THE #NBA FINALS! SO HAPPY & SO PROUD OF OUR #Celtics TEAM! LOVE THIS CELTICS TWITTER FAM! WE DID IT! LET’S GO! #BleedGreen #NBAFinals #BostonCeltics #BelieveInBoston
“Love this Celtics vs Warriors matchup because both organizations made excellent draft picks and invested in their young core over the long run and it paid out. Now it’s the Celtics’ time shine,” @DestinRalph wrote.
You can find more fan reactions here.
The Celtics and Golden State Warriors are set to face off on Thursday, June 2, with the opening game taking place in San Francisco, which should allow Udoka’s “Road Warriors” the opportunity to snatch a victory and gain an early foothold in the series.
After all, Boston is just four wins away from lifting banner 18 and giving their star core their first taste of championship success.