Jimmy Butler Makes His Return To Miami Tonight

Megan Briggs. Getty Images.

Tonight is going to be an emotional one in Miami as Jimmy Butler steps back into the arena he helped define for half a decade. And let me get this out of the way now, I’m not holding the ending against him. Relationships almost never end clean, and sports are no different. When an era closes, it’s supposed to hurt. That’s how you know it mattered.

But tonight? I expect Heat fans to give Jimmy the welcome he absolutely deserves. What he did for this franchise should never be overlooked. Jimmy didn’t just fit into Heat Culture, he became the embodiment of it. He dragged this team to two NBA Finals through sheer force of will, and even though we never finished the job, the ride was legendary. Honestly, my life wouldn’t be the same without him. If he doesn’t win Game 7 in Boston, I’m probably still selling health insurance with “Dave Was Right” tattooed on my ass. That man saved me from a lifetime of explaining that to future children.

I’ll forever have love for 22. If not for D-Wade, Jimmy would be my favorite Heat player ever. I loved LeBron, sure, it was the greatest four years of my life, but with that team, we expected greatness. With Jimmy? We expected nothing. We were underdogs every single series, walking into battles against the Celtics, Bucks, 76ers thinking, “How the hell is this team going to survive?” And somehow, we did, because they didn’t have Jimmy Butler and we did.

Five seasons. First in triple-doubles. Third in points per game. Two Finals runs. That number should hang in the rafters, end of discussion. If Pat Riley doesn’t give him the tribute he deserves tonight, I swear I might start a riot myself.

All that said… I still hope we beat the absolute living piss out of him tonight.

All love, 22.