Getty Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat.
Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat will be looking to send the New York Knicks home on Wednesday night in Game 5. Heading into the series, one of the main talking points was the face off between Butler and his old Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau.
Also sitting on New York’s bench is his former teammate Derrick Rose, who recently discussed the Miami star’s strong confidence. He told Stadium’s Shams Charania that Butler always seemed to know that he’d be alright in the league.
“I feel like I knew that he was gon’ be alright, but I feel like every player or every person — nobody really don’t know your journey or how you feel about yourself but you,” Rose told Charania. “Even with me saying that I was gon’ win MVP, nobody then believed. My mom probably didn’t even believe, but I believed, you know what I mean? And I feel like that belief — you are the only one that can know, not believe, but you know what you have inside you, and I feel like Jimmy always knew that he was gon’ be someone.”
Knicks’ Derrick Rose sits down with @Stadium: “No one knows your journey but you…even with me saying that I was going to win MVP, my mom probably didn’t even believe me.”
– Leadership
– No. 1 potentially retired by Bulls “would be cool”
– Jalen Brunson
– Jimmy Butler
– Chess
Karl Anthony-Towns Opens Up on Fued with Heat’s Jimmy Butler
During Butler’s time in Minnesota under Thibodeau, he and his teammates didn’t get along all that well. Timberwolves center Karl Anthony-Towns recently opened up about his rocky relationship with Miami’s No. 22. During an appearance on “The Podcast P Show,” he detailed the infamous scrimmage where Butler beat the starters while playing alongside third-stringers.
“I mean much respect to Jimmy, let me tell you that before I start anything,” Towns told George. “I needed the help to get to the first playoffs. It’s a team game and we both did a lot of work to get us there. I do remember this. We had practice, we had that game. It was the four starters, and it was Jimmy, his boy from Marquette [Darius Johnson]-Odom, and three other guys, I think one of them actually ended up being a starter for us. I was balling, he was passing a lot. He got one free throw. I know we had a moment where we was arguing with each other. He said some s—, I said some s— back. I wasn’t going for that… They ended up winning the game, I think they got a last second shot to go in, so it was a quick little scrimmage or whatever. Then I remember the whole thing happened where he’s screaming at the people and everything. I guess practice is over.”
Towns wrapped up the story by explaining that the two are now in a “cool spot,” despite their rough history as teammates.
“We had our differences but we seen each other at All-Stars. We talked, I asked how his family was and he asked how my family was. I think we at a cool spot.”
Jimmy Butler, Heat Return to MSG for Game 5 vs. Knicks
Wednesday’s Game 5 will mark the first time Butler and the Heat have played at Madison Square Garden since last week’s Game 2. It was a game where the 33-year-old star was sidelined with an ankle injury.
After the final buzzer, sealing Miami’s defeat, Butler flipped the bird to the Knicks faithful as he exited the court.
Jimmy Butler is big mad that he lost 😂
The reception that Butler gets following his message for the New York crowd will certainly be something to keep an eye on in the Heat’s closeout opportunity.