Getty Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat talks with Jimmy Butler #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers as they wait to check in to the game at the scorers table during the first half at American Airlines Arena on April 09, 2019.
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler celebrated former NBA legend Dwyane Wade‘s 39th birthday by sharing a video of the former teammates belting out K-Ci and JoJo’s hit song, “All My Life,” on his Instagram Stories on January 17.
In the video clip, Wade and Butler are at a club singing karaoke — a throwback to a pre-coronavirus time when they could hang out in public without masks while surrounded by friends. Fear not, Butler and Wade were not together singing R&B classics on Sunday, the video is from years ago.
Butler and Wade both shared the original version of their karaoke performance in August 2018, a year after the two both played from the Chicago Bulls during the 2016-2017 NBA season.
The duo remained close even after Butler was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves while Wade negotiated a buyout with the Bulls to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers before being dealt back the Heat in February 2018.
GettyJimmy Butler #21 and Dwyane Wade #3 of the Chicago Bulls look on from the bench during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on January 20, 2017.
Wade, a 13-time All-Star, and the 2006 Finals MVP retired from the NBA at the end of the 2018-2019 season. In February 2020, the Heat retired Wade’s No. 3 jersey number with a three-day “L3GACY Celebration.”
Wade Is Butler’s Biggest Cheerleader
GettyDwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers swap jerseys after the final regular season home game at American Airlines Arena on April 09, 2019.
Wade couldn’t be more thrilled when the Heat made it to the NBA Finals during the 2019-2020 season, and he showed some special love for Butler on Twitter. Wade tweeted, “Iam so f****** happy for Jimmy right now,” to which Butler retweeted and wrote, “i appreciate you og.”
Butler, 31, never played on the Heat with Wade, but the future Hall of Famer is a big of Miami’s newest star. Way before the Heat’s incredibly playoff run last season, Wade called Butler the perfect kind of “crazy” to propel the Heat forward.
Wade said during a conference call in January 2020:
I think Jimmy’s been very clear, and I think I’ve spoken a few times, it’s conversations that we had about Miami early on, and it’s certain people that you just know are Miami Heat guys when you know the culture. And for me, I always thought that Jimmy was that — not knowing that this would actually happen — but I always thought that Jimmy’s personality and his crazy is perfect for [Heat president] Pat Riley and [coach] Erik Spoelstra’s crazy.
Wade Has Been a Mentor to Butler Ever Since He Joined the Heat
GettyJimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat reacts during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Three of the 2020 NBA Finals on October 04, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
After Butler joined the Heat in July 2019, Wade knew this would be the start of a new era for the Miami franchise, and stepped in to help mentor the five-time All-Star.
Wade shared the advice he gave to Butler at the time with ESPN. “One thing I told Jimmy when he got there was, ‘Hey, this is Jimmy Butler era.’ Don’t worry about people saying anything about Dwyane Wade. I am old and retired and gone. So you don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
“Focus on what you’re trying to build with Miami in your time there,” Wade continued. “Don’t ever feel like you have to be me or anybody else that’s come before you. You just have to be Jimmy Butler. And I think he’s great at being Jimmy Butler, and that’s who he needs to be.”
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