Getty Jmmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat reacts against the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Arena on February 09, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler was speaking to the media following the team’s 101-94 win over the Houston Rockets on February 11, when a reporter asked the five-time All-Star about what it’s like playing with Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, and Tyler Herro.
In response, Butler first called out the journalist for not asking what it’s like to be playing with any of his Black teammates. “You basically just named all the white guys on our team.”
“I love you for that,” Butler said, before returning the focus of the Heat’s post-game conference back to discussing Miami’s 4-game win streak. “We know what we’re capable of,” Butler said. “We know what we need to do. So going forwards, let’s keep this thing rolling.
Jimmy Butler after a reporter asked about the shooters he plays with:
“You basically just named all the white guys on our team. But we’ve got some good players man I’m telling you.”
-finishes media availability with: “Man somebody carry me to the bus!”
Of course, there are more white players on the Miami Heat roster than the reporter asked about, but it seemed like an odd question considering Herro wasn’t even playing on Thursday night. Herro was forced to sit out due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
The pass and dunk that gave @JimmyButler his 6th triple-double in a HEAT uniform… passing @DwyaneWade for 2nd on the franchise All-Time list.
Assist of the Night // @StateFarm
Bulter had a fantastic game against the Rockets. The 31-year old had his first triple-double of the season scoring 27 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Butler Only Had the Most Complimentary Words for Teammate Max Strus
Max Strus had his number called and put on a show last night in Houston
With Herro getting pulled from the lineup mere minutes before tip-off, Thursday night’s game became Strus’s time to shine, and the 24-year-old who went undrafted out of DePaul was ready. He played a career-high 25 minutes during the Heat’s win over Houston and scored 21 points.
“I knew that my hard work would pay off at some point,” Strus said. “To be honest, to be doing this this early in the season, I probably didn’t expect that. But it’s a weird year and there’s a lot of weird things going on. So you’ve just got to be ready.”
Max Strus’ shot chart (via @nbastats) is a masterful work of art. 11-of-11 in the restricted area with tonight’s dunk, one long 2-pointer (a miss) and 19-of-48 now on 3s.
“As I’ve continued to grow and mature I’ve gained a lot of athleticism and I think that honestly separates me from a lot of people known as ‘shooters,'” Strus added. I’ve always been an athlete, I’ve always liked dunking to be honest with you.”
Max following Jimmy’s instructions is working out well 👌
His preparedness has not gone unnoticed by Butler, who was not surprised by his performance on Thursday night. “I see him shoot the ball when nobody’s looking,” Butler said. “The amount of reps that he puts in, I want you to do what you’re comfortable doing.”
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Strus said, “Every time I get on the court,” Jimmy says, ‘Every time I pass you the ball, shoot the ball,’ So just having him have that confidence in me is extremely helpful and gives me confidence.”
The Heat are Looking to Keep the Momentum Going During One of the Longest Road Game Trips in Franchise History
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The Heat is looking to turn their season around as they continue on the rest of their 7-game road trip, the longest road game streak since
The Heat’s next game is on Saturday, February 13 against the Utah Jazz at 9 p.m. ET. Miami’s upcoming schedule is as follows:
Monday, February 15: Heat vs. Los Angeles Clippers at 10 p.m. ET
Wednesday, February 17: Heat vs. Golden State Warriors at 10 p.m. ET
Thursday, February 18: Heat vs. Sacramento Kings at 10 p.m. ET
Saturday, February 20: Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers at 8:30 p.m. ET
Monday, February 22: Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder at 8 p.m. ET
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