JIMMY BUTLER

Stephen A. Smith Doubts Jimmy Butler’s Star Power

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Jimmy Butler had modest expectations when he entered the NBA. Coming out of mid-major Marquette, Butler was the 30th overall pick in 2011. While he was played sparingly during his early years in Chicago, he was a starter by his third season. Butler has defied those modest expectations to become an eight-time all-star and five-time All-NBAer. Furthermore, he has earned the nickname “Playoff Jimmy” for his habit of absolutely balling out in the postseason.

However, is Jimmy Butler a true superstar? It’s a tough question. He certainly doesn’t rank in the same tier as Jokić, Embiid, Giannis, LeBron, etc. But Jimmy Butler has always been a hardworking contributor and a backbone of a lot of teams. Despite this, Stephen A. Smith went hard on Butler’s reputation during a recent episode of First Take.

Stephen A. Smith Goes Off On Jimmy Butler

“You think about superstars and what we usually get from those superstars in terms of offensive production, that’s not Jimmy,” Smith said on First Take. In four seasons with Miami, Butler is averaging 21.5 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. In six seasons in Chicago, Butler averaged 15.6 points per game. Smith is right that Butler isn’t an offensive powerhouse. You don’t win a championship if Jimmy Butler is the primary offensive weapon at your disposal.

But has anyone ever thought otherwise? For real, has anyone genuinely looked at Butler’s output and said “This is the guy who we can exclusively rely on to win us a championship”? No, of course not. And that’s because Butler’s skill set is one you build around. Butler doesn’t shoot threes so you need a guy who can shoot threes. Jimmy Butler isn’t some Swiss-army knife player who can do everything. However, if you can build the right team around him, you don’t need him to be that player. NBA observers have seen the rise of Jokić, Embiid, and other superstars and decided that every team needs a one-man army. Jimmy Butler is a great player, but isn’t and doesn’t need to be the guy who drags a team to a championship. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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SOURCE SPORTS: Jimmy Butler Says Winning NBA Title Means ‘Everything’

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Jimmy Butler to Coach Spoelstra in Closing Moments: 'Let Me Be That Guy'

There is no doubting the will of Jimmy Butler. The All-Star swingman is currently entrenched in a battle with the Denver Nuggets for the NBA Title. If he wins, he reveals it would mean “everything” to him.

In a conversation with ESPN, Butler said. “That’s why everybody plays this game — I lied, that’s why a lot of people play this game — is to win a championship. Everybody here — is to win a championship. That’s all we lock in on; that’s all we’re focused on.

“Like we put so much energy towards winning and playing for one another that if we do this together, we get to celebrate this together, we’re like, I don’t know the word, itched, niched, we made our mark in history together forever, so we’re in that.”

Butler lost game 3 to the Nuggets but will get a chance to win again when the HEAT take on Nikola Jokic and his team again on Friday.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Jimmy Butler Says Winning NBA Title Means ‘Everything’ appeared first on The Source.

J. Cole, DJ Khaled, Dwyane Wade & More Hit Game 3 of NBA Finals in Miami

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J. Cole, DJ Khaled, Dwyane Wade & More Hit Game 3 of NBA Finals in Miami

Game 3 of the NBA Finals is in the books. With the series shifting back to Miami, the stars came out. Dwyane Wade and Magic Johnson, J. Cole, DJ Khaled, Kai Cenat, Shakira, and Neymar and Pogba were spotted courtside and throughout the arena.

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DJ Khaled


Dwyane Wade and Magic Johnson


J. Cole


Kai Cenat


Neymar and Pogba


Shakira

It was too much Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray for the Miami HEAT in game three as the Denver Nuggets cruised to a 109-94 victory to take a 2-1 lead.

Jokic had 32 points, 21 rebounds, and ten assists, while Murray added 34 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists. The star duo for the Nuggets became the first teammates in NBA Finals History to have 30-point triple-doubles in the same game.

Nuggets’ coach Mike Malone was speaking differently about his team than he did after Game 2. Specifically about Jokic and Murray, Malone said it was “By far, their greatest performance as a duo in their seven years together.”

Assisting the Nuggets duo were Christian Braun, who had an energetic 15 points off the bench, and Aaron Gordon, who added 11 points, ten rebounds and five assists.

For the HEAT, Jimmy Butler had 28 points, Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 17 rebounds, but what was echoing out of the HEAT in postgame was a lack of energy.

“Maybe we’re at home; we think we did something,” Butler said. “I don’t know. It just can’t happen. It won’t happen again. It starts with myself. I have to lock in on the defensive end. I have to go up and get loose balls. I think if I start playing and doing that, then everybody else has to follow suit.”

“I just think sometimes, for us, when we lose a lot of those physical battles, the effort plays, the loose balls, the rebounding battles, that’s our identity,” Head Coach Eric Spoelstra said. “And sometimes, that can affect the flow of the rest of your game. That’s not an excuse. I think the thing that we’ve proven over and over and over is we can win and find different ways to win regardless of whether we have confidence, regardless of whether the ball is going in.”

The HEAT will get another shot at the Nuggets when Game 4 tips off on Friday from Miami.

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SOURCE SPORTS: Jokic and Murray Drop Triple Doubles and Nuggets Take 2-1 Lead on HEAT

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Jokic and Murray Drop Triple Doubles and Nuggets Take 2-1 Lead on HEAT

It was too much Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray for the Miami HEAT in game three as the Denver Nuggets cruised to a 109-94 victory to take a 2-1 lead.

Jokic had 32 points, 21 rebounds, and ten assists, while Murray added 34 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists. The star duo for the Nuggets became the first teammates in NBA Finals History to have 30-point triple-doubles in the same game.

Nuggets’ coach Mike Malone was speaking differently about his team than he did after Game 2. Specifically about Jokic and Murray, Malone said it was “By far, their greatest performance as a duo in their seven years together.”

Assisting the Nuggets duo were Christian Braun, who had an energetic 15 points off the bench, and Aaron Gordon, who added 11 points, ten rebounds and five assists.

For the HEAT, Jimmy Butler had 28 points, Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 17 rebounds, but what was echoing out of the HEAT in postgame was a lack of energy.

“Maybe we’re at home; we think we did something,” Butler said. “I don’t know. It just can’t happen. It won’t happen again. It starts with myself. I have to lock in on the defensive end. I have to go up and get loose balls. I think if I start playing and doing that, then everybody else has to follow suit.”

“I just think sometimes, for us, when we lose a lot of those physical battles, the effort plays, the loose balls, the rebounding battles, that’s our identity,” Head Coach Eric Spoelstra said. “And sometimes, that can affect the flow of the rest of your game. That’s not an excuse. I think the thing that we’ve proven over and over and over is we can win and find different ways to win regardless of whether we have confidence, regardless of whether the ball is going in.”

The HEAT will get another shot at the Nuggets when Game 4 tips off on Friday from Miami.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Jokic and Murray Drop Triple Doubles and Nuggets Take 2-1 Lead on HEAT appeared first on The Source.

Jimmy Butler Moons Bam Adebayo During Press Conference

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The Miami Heat tied up the NBA Finals on Sunday night with a 111-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were both key contributors in the victory, both scoring 21 points. Their stat lines were mirror images, with Butler adding 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Meanwhile, Adebayo contributed 4 rebounds and 9 assists. Furthermore, Adebayo was the last scorer of the game, sinking two free throws to put the up five with 45 seconds to go.

The NBA Finals continue in Miami on June 7, with both sides looking to take that all-important lead. However, Miami’s clutch win isn’t the only thing people are talking about in regard to Game 2. Turns out there’s a little bit of behind-the-scenes footage from the post-game press conference that’s going viral. Furthermore, the video shows a fun side to Butler and Adebayo’s off-court friendship. The pair have been teammates since 2019 when Butler joined the Heat. Adebayo was drafted by Miami in 2017. Additionally, they have both won Olympic medals with Team USA, just not together. Butler won his in 2016 and Adebayo took home gold in 2020.

Butler Moons Adebayo

The video, which appears to come from Butler’s Instagram and has since been widely shared, shows Butler backstage at the Game 2 press conference. Bam Adebayo can be seen on stage, addressing the media. Butler turns around and drops his pants before beginning to try and attract Adebayo’s attention. Someone can be heard trying to call Butler off but the Miami star persists. Adebayo finally notices, presumably getting a full view of Butler’s ass before returning to the press conference and asking a reporter to repeat their question.

It’s a fun and wholesome moment. but not wholly unexpected. Butler is a well-known prankster. Last month, it was reported that Butler had developed a love of country music from one notable prank. Attempting to prank his college teammates with Tim McGraw’s “Don’t Take The Girl”, Butler ended up falling in love with the genre. Elsewhere, Butler’s infamous dreadlocks from preseason camp were also revealed to be a masterful troll from the NBA superstar. What do you think about Butler’s prank? Let us know in the comments. Follow all the latest sports news and viral videos here at HotNewHipHop.

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Skip Bayless Theorizes Why Jimmy Butler Is Struggling

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Skip Bayless is someone who doesn’t always get a ton of respect from NBA fans. Overall, there is a pretty good reason for this. He can sometimes be overly critical of certain players. Additionally, he is also disrespectful at times. This disrespect has sometimes been directed at his co-host Shannon Sharpe. Interestingly enough, Shannon is leaving Undisputed soon, and many point to Skip’s antics as the reason why. That said, they continue to cover the NBA Finals, at least for now.

Last night, we got to see a fantastic game from the Miami Heat, who stunned the Denver Nuggets with a fourth-quarter run that won them the game. Although, it was players like Max Strus and Bam Adebayo who led the way for the Heat. Jimmy Butler struggled throughout much of the match, just like he did in the last few games against Boston. Overall, fans are wondering what is up with Butler, who hasn’t been carrying his squad. As Skip Bayless explains, it could be because Jimmy Butler’s father is sick.

Read More: Shannon Sharpe Likes Tweet That Suggests Why He’s Leaving Skip Bayless

Skip Bayless Speaks

“We haven’t seen Playoff Jimmy [Butler] now for 7 straight games,” Skip Bayless explained. “He is going through an issue with his father who is not well… I think he might be a little distracted, if not a little drained, by going through that.” All-in-all, this is a very bizarre thing to speculate on. At the end of the day, Butler has not disclosed anything of the sort. Moreover, it just feels like yet another instance in which Bayless has overstepped a bit. Once again, this has to be another reason why Shannon Sharpe wants out of there.

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat seem locked in right now. They are making it very tough on the Nuggets, who on paper are the better team. However, this is a series that could end up going the distance. Let us know who you think is the better team, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports news.

Read More: Charles Barkley Trolls Skip Bayless

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SOURCE SPORTS: Miami HEAT Bounce Back to Steal Win and Home Court in Game 2 of NBA Finals

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Miami HEAT Bounce Back to Steal Win and Home Court in Game 2

You can never count out the Miami HEAT. Jimmy Butler and the HEAT got out to a fast start, dropped behind by as much as 15, only to regain the lead and hold on for a 111-108 finish in Game 2 of their NBA Finals series with the Denver Nuggets.

With the win, the HEAT stole home court and became the No. 8 seed with the most wins in a single playoff run in NBA History. Butler finished with 21 points and nine assists, echoing sentiments that he has had all playoffs long, which are keys to the team’s success.

“We’re not worried about what anybody thinks,” Butler said. “We’re so focused in on what we do well and who we are as a group that at the end of the day, that’s what we fall back on. Make or miss shots, we’re going to be who we are because we’re not worried about anybody else. That’s how it’s been all year long, and that’s not going to change. So that’s what I think it is. I think it’s the ‘I don’t give a damn’ factor.”

The HEAT caught an early spark from Max Struss, who bounced back after a 0-for-10 performance to hit four threes in the first quarter. Center Bam Adebayo contributed elite defense and strong cuts to the basket, Kevin Love helped counter the size of Aaron Gordon, but the sniper of the night was Gabe Vincent, who scored 23 points, including huge threes. Also was Duncan Robinson, who exploded for ten crucial points in the fourth quarter.

For Denver, Nikola Jokic dropped 41 points and 10 rebounds; however, only four assists were limited in distribution to his supporting cast. Jamal Murray had 18 points, but the rest of the starting lineup, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, didn’t combine for 25.

In post-game, Nuggets head coach Mike Malone blasted the team’s effort, dubbing it unworthy of the NBA Finals.

“This is the NBA Finals,” Malone said. “We are talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine. You guys probably thought I was just making up some storyline after Game 1 when I said we didn’t play well. We didn’t play well.

“Tonight, the starting lineup to start the game, it was 10-2 Miami. Start of the third quarter, they scored 11 points in two minutes. We had guys out there that were just, whether feeling sorry for themselves for not making shots or thinking they can just turn it on or off. This is not the preseason, this is not the regular season. This is the NBA Finals. That, to me, is really, really perplexing, disappointing.”

The series will now shift to Miami for Wednesday’s Game 3.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Miami HEAT Bounce Back to Steal Win and Home Court in Game 2 of NBA Finals appeared first on The Source.

Drake Drops $1.25 Million in Bets on the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals

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Drake Dreamville

Drake, ever the gambler, has dropped 1.25 million in wagers on the Denver Nuggets.

Hitting Instagram, The Boy showed tickets for the NBA Finals. For $1 million, Drake took the Nuggets to win the series, paying out $1.23 million. He bet $250K on the Nuggets winning 4-1 for the exact series result, bringing back $850K.

Drake’s bets are off to a good start as the Denver Nuggets entered Game 1 of the NBA Finals and did what they have done all season, protect their home court. In their first Finals game ever, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murry led their team to a 104-93 victory over Jimmy Butler and the Miami HEAT.

The game started with force as Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon overpowered smaller defenders of the HEAT for eight points in the first quarter and set the pace for a wire-to-wire win.

Jokic had 27 points, 14 assists, and ten rebounds, adding another triple-double to his playoffs run. Jamal Murray added 26 points and ten assists. Michael Porter Jr. scored 14 and added 13 rebounds.

For the HEAT, Bam Adebayo gave a monster performance of 26 points and 13 rebounds. HEAT star Jimmy Butler only had 13 points on 6-for-14 shooting from the field. More alarming for the HEAT was their lack of free throws, only getting to the line twice. Butler spoke on free throws and additional offensive woes after the game.

“Probably because we shot a lot of jump shots, myself probably leading that pack, instead of putting pressure on the rim,” Butler said.. “Getting layups, getting to the free throw line. When you look at it during the game, they all look like the right shots.

“And I’m not saying that we can’t as a team make those, but got to get more layups, got to get more free throws. And whenever you miss and don’t get back, the game gets out of hand kind of quickly. We gave up too many layups, which we also can’t have happen. But that’s it as a whole. We’ve got to attack the rim a lot more, myself included.”

On the other end of the ball, Nuggets coach Mike Malone spoke about his star player, Nikola Jokic.

“I learned a long time ago, the defense tells you what to do, and Nikola never forces it,” Malone said. “If they’re going to give him that kind of attention, he had 10 assists at halftime. Well, he’s going to just pick you apart.”

The HEAT will now attempt to recover and get a win during Game 2 this Sunday.

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SOURCE SPORTS: Nuggets’ Size, Jokic’s Triple Double Too Much for Heat in NBA Finals Game 1

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Nuggets' Size, Jokic's Triple Double Too Much for Heat in Game 1

The Denver Nuggets entered Game 1 of the NBA Finals and did what they have done all season, protect their home court. In their first Finals game ever, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murry led their team to a 104-93 victory over Jimmy Butler and the Miami HEAT.

The game started with force as Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon overpowered smaller defenders of the HEAT for eight points in the first quarter and set the pace for a wire-to-wire win.

Jokic had 27 points, 14 assists, and ten rebounds, adding another triple-double to his playoffs run. Jamal Murray added 26 points and ten assists. Michael Porter Jr. scored 14 and added 13 rebounds.

For the HEAT, Bam Adebayo gave a monster performance of 26 points and 13 rebounds. HEAT star Jimmy Butler only had 13 points on 6-for-14 shooting from the field. More alarming for the HEAT was their lack of free throws, only getting to the line twice. Butler spoke on free throws and additional offensive woes after the game.

“Probably because we shot a lot of jump shots, myself probably leading that pack, instead of putting pressure on the rim,” Butler said.. “Getting layups, getting to the free throw line. When you look at it during the game, they all look like the right shots.

“And I’m not saying that we can’t as a team make those, but got to get more layups, got to get more free throws. And whenever you miss and don’t get back, the game gets out of hand kind of quickly. We gave up too many layups, which we also can’t have happen. But that’s it as a whole. We’ve got to attack the rim a lot more, myself included.”

On the other end of the ball, Nuggets coach Mike Malone spoke about his star player, Nikola Jokic.

“I learned a long time ago, the defense tells you what to do, and Nikola never forces it,” Malone said. “If they’re going to give him that kind of attention, he had 10 assists at halftime. Well, he’s going to just pick you apart.”

The HEAT will now attempt to recover and get a win during Game 2 this Sunday.

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Earl Sweatshirt Revisits Jimmy Butler’s Offseason Hair

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Jimmy Butler is having a great playoffs. Despite the Miami Heat entering as an eight-seed, the team has absolutely balled out. In the first round, they took down the first-seed Milwaukee Bucks in five games. They followed that by eliminating the five-seed Knicks in six games.

That set up a rematch with the Boston Celtics, marking the third time in four years that the two teams have faced off for a place in the NBA Finals. Despite the Celtics entering as the second seed, the Heat have absolutely dominated. Heading into Game 4 on May 23, the Butler-led heat are riding a 3-0 series lead and looking to sweep Boston. However, rapper Earl Sweatshirt has something else on his mind other than the basketball on display.

Earl Sweatshirt Questions Butler’s Dreads

Taking to Twitter, Sweatshirt voiced his desire to get some real answers from the post-game press conferences. “all I ask is that one of you interviewers in this post season please ask jimmy wtf was on his mind when he did the fake dreds.” The tweet is in reference to the long dreads that Butler debuted during summer workouts last year. During the playoffs, Butler has kept it short and tight on top, capped off by his signature headband. The rapper followed up with a quote tweet of this original statement. “salute to the underdog of sorts but also we can’t just forget and forgive this easily.”

However, it’s unlikely that the question is going to come up in a presser anytime soon. The primary reason for this is that Butler already addressed the viral images of his hair. Last September, Butler was asked about his hair. “I’m just messing with stuff to make the internet mad. That was my goal this summer and it worked,” Butler told reporters. Maybe Sweatshirt missed that moment. Despite this, Butler will look to close out the Celtics in front of a home crowd on Tuesday night. If they can finish the series, it will set up a matchup against the Nuggets in the Finals. How did you feel about Butler’s long hair? Let us know in the comments.

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