Jimmy Butler is a tragic hero. But he hasn't always been a hero, he's gone through several incarnations along the way so far. As in a good classic movie or as in a Greek tragedy, Butler does not miss any step on the way to climax.
Exposition: Butler was selected 30th overall in the draft and came to the league on a defensive ticket. In his second season, he was given the job of keeping LeBron James at his peak during an entire series, 48 minutes per game. In the fifth and final game, Butler had a chance to equalize from three but the ball hit the ring and went out.
Jamie Butler. Was there for the friends, Photo: AP
The Triggering Event: Years passed, Jimmy improved and even won the 'Most Improved Player of the Year' award. Disagreements and fights inside the Bulls' locker room sent him to frozen Minnesota. The guy didn't get along there either, and despite making the playoffs with a team that hadn't done it in 13 years (in the final game of the season against Jokic in his third season and Murray in his first season), tempers were high and Butler adopted a new label – the villain.
He took the team's third team and humiliated the first team shouting "you can't do without me," the trade soon came, he was sent to the Philadelphia 76ers and was the acquisition, designed to complete the "process."
Jimmy Butler. Miami is within touching distance of the final, Photo: AP
The problem and the obstacle on the way to the unattainable: Butler's obstacle is dealing with stars on the way to the ring. In the City of Brothers, Jimmy and Embiid teamed up and in the playoffs they pulled Toronto and Kawhi to a seventh game. Butler's tie-breaking basket with 4 seconds left didn't help against Kawhi's shot that bounced 4 times on the rim and went in. Tragedy.
A season later, he moves to Miami and, against all odds, reaches the NBA Finals against the undisputed king – LeBron James. Jimmy with two games seeing and huge moments manages to win 2 but against the king and prince that is not enough, Butler walks like a frog after the story is over.
The following season, fatigue takes its toll and Miami is eliminated against Milwaukee in a painful sweep, while Giannis goes all the way and conquers the crown.
Toward the end of the 2021-22 season, Butler quarreled with the coach, with Haslem also getting into the business and pundits eulogizing the Heat. Reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and then huge displays alongside dud displays by Butler left a bitter taste. In Game <>, Boston dominated but somehow the gap narrowed and with a chance to equalize or gain an advantage, Butler chooses the advantage and shoots a three in front of Horford, the ball hits the basket and goes out. The same basket he missed in the first set comes back to him in the third set. Tragedy have we already said?
Butler vs. Tatum. Another Jimmy show?, Photo: AFP
The illusion – the road to success is paved with failures: the 22nd season in red decided that this is it, this is his season. He came into the season so prepared that in early December he announced and promised Pat Riley his tenth ring: "We're going to win a championship, and I don't care what everyone says. Trust us."
Things actually didn't go as well, the team was languishing at the bottom of the East and reaching the play-in, Atlanta won and moved up from seventh place and Chicago led them a few minutes into the game, and then something changed in Butler's perspective and the Heat came back and won.
This playoff is Butler's chance to prove everyone he's right, and he'll make it to the unattainable.
Jimmy Butler. It's your time, Photo: AP
The first game of the playoffs against the Bucks was the start of the show for the star, as he scored 35 points and led the Heat to a victory over the Rams. By Game 56 it had become a concert, <> points and coming back from behind in the fourth quarter gave the third win of the series. In the next game, Butler with a tie-breaking basket stole the show and left the basketball world stunned.
The second hurdle was against his former coach, the one who didn't believe he had a star, which Butler also won despite an ankle injury.
The next obstacle — the one that eliminated Miami in Game 7 last season. Miami took advantage and took a 0-3 lead. The moments of happiness were already at their peak, Butler signaled a timeout with his hands and ridiculed Horford's picture from Game 1, but as in the movie, the happiness sequence is just an illusion. In Game 4, the Celtics ran away in the third quarter and still Butler smiled on the bench at the end of the game and said, "We didn't play like we're used to, we know what we're capable of and that's why we smile," but Boston managed to break the Heat. Another victory and the momentum switched sides. Even then, Butler promised, "We need to be tougher and keep fighting, we will win."
Butler. Unforgettable, Photo: USA TODAY Sports
Doubt injured doubt tired, the star did not arrive in the sixth game well and struggled to score, nevertheless he stepped up and injured for the final minutes. All that remains is to close a story. With 3 seconds on the clock, he punctuated three times from the line and gave the Heat the advantage, but then Derek White burst the bubble with a game-winning basket at the buzzer. 3-3 in the series, and Butler again promises at the end: "We have to be aggressive from the start, it's on us and we will win."
Record and permit? We have reached the high point, from here anything can happen. Once again, Butler is standing with his back to the wall, facing the green fence at the height of glory and historical momentum, he could be the one to spoil the Celtics' celebrations and reach the Finals to try and close the circle, or he will continue to be a tragic figure in the league, with praise on the one hand and criticism on the other.
Butler celebrates reaching the semifinals against the Knicks,
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Throughout his career, Jimmy Butler wrote his own story, but there was always another hero who took his place and left him with a painful ending. Will tonight (Monday to Tuesday, 3:30 a.m.) end differently?
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