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There Is Simply No Way "98.9% Of The Heat Organization" Was Uncomfortable With Emo Jimmy Butler At Media Day

Sam Navarro. Getty Images.

I think it's fair to suggest that it's certainly been an emotional last few months for Jimmy Butler. The highs of that magical postseason run only to once again experience the lows of coming up short in the NBA Finals, the highs of assuming Damian Lillard was headed to South Beach only for the lows of accepting the reality that he instead went to an Eastern Conference rival. That's quite the emotional rollercoaster.

So you can understand why Butler showed up to Media Day yesterday as Emo Jimmy Butler. It fit based on everything that had gone on this offseason. Plus, this is also what Jimmy does at Media Day. He has fun with it. It's not really that serious in the grand scheme of things on a day that's all about having fun as we all get ready for what should be an awesome NBA season.

Apparently, that may not have been the case in Miami's front office

OK, this feels like a bit of a stretch. It has to be. There is no way that the Heat front office/organization is totally uncomfortable with literally anything Jimmy Butler does, especially hiding behind the idea of Heat Culture. You know who embraces Heat Culture? Jimmy Butler! You could make the case that he's the very definition of Heat Culture. He never complains about the talent around him, once the playoffs roll around he morphs into some sort of basketball superhuman, he grinds, all that shit. 

So as much as I'd like to kill the Heat for suddenly having an issue with Jimmy Butler's Media Day antics when they certainly didn't give a shit about him doing the exact same thing this time last year, I don't think I can. Something about that report doesn't pass the smell test. Last time I checked, it was the Heat organization that was the reason Jimmy Butler is even emotional in the first place after their fumbling of the Dame trade. For all we know if they didn't fuck around at the beginning of the summer they would have actually landed Dame and Butler would be happy at Media Day. Seems odd to be uncomfortable about something that was entirely preventable, but what do I know?

I will say this, if the Heat truly are upset about this, it only makes sense that after all the loyalty that Jimmy Butler has shown the Heat since he got there, they owe it to him to trade him to a team that will fully embrace who he is and all of his wacky Media Day antics. That's what we were told from Heat fans/Heat media when it came to treating Damian Lillard the right way, so the same applies here. It doesn't even matter what the return would be. If the Heat don't want to ruin their reputation with other star players in the league and any future free agent potentially coming to South Beach, they have to take whatever is offered and send Butler to where else he wants to go.

See how silly that all sounds once it's applied to a Heat player? That is what we heard for an entire summer by the way. 

So again, I'm calling bullshit on this. It'd be fun if it wasn't because we all know what happens with Butler once things turn south with a team, but I just don't see how this could possibly be the case. 

It's Media Day. It's certainly not that serious.