Our Clients:

Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Jan 23, 2025 3:10 pm

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Jimmy Butler drama: ‘Get used to it’

spoelstra

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra wants his team to realize the recent Jimmy Butler drama is just another day in the NBA.

Butler, who reportedly has requested a trade out of Miami, was suspended for two games Wednesday for missing a team flight. It’s his second team suspension of the season, the first lasting seven games for conduct detrimental to the team.

The 35-year-old Butler will not play in Miami’s two-game road trip to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday and Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Spoelstra spoke to reporters following the Heat’s game-day shootaround in Milwaukee.

“The point that I made to our team is get used to it,” Spoelstra said. “Get over it. This is the NBA life; this is the life we chose. If you think it’s going to be predictable, you’re really mistaken.”

The reasoning given for Butler’s first suspension was that, “through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team.”

The Heat said at the time they would begin listening to offers for the disgruntled star forward. The National Basketball Players Association said it would appeal Butler’s seven-game ban, though he wound up serving the entire suspension.

Butler returned Jan. 17 and played in three Heat home games. Then, he missed the team’s flight to Milwaukee on Wednesday and ESPN reported he had planned to meet up with the team on the road.

That didn’t fly with team brass.

Spoelstra and Bam Adebayo had spoken during the initial suspension about guiding the team through the distraction of Butler’s trade request. So the Heat are ready to play without Butler again.

“It takes a mental fortitude and commitment in terms of the task at hand,” Spoelstra said Thursday. “Nothing changes in terms of the task at hand. We have a game tonight, we have enough continuity, we know what our identity is at this point. You can make any excuse you want to, but we get to do what we love.

“We’ve had this happen all season long, so we know the exercise and what we need to do to make those adjustments.”

Tyler Herro told reporters there was “not much to talk about” with the latest Butler development.

“It’s probably not the easiest to work with someone who’s going to be in and out in any job,” Herro said. “We love Jimmy; we’d love for him to be here. I love Jimmy.”

–Field Level Media

You may also like

maryland
Jan 23, 2025 8:42 pm

Women’s Top 25 roundup: No. 12 Ohio State rallies past No. 8 Maryland

Jaloni Cambridge paired 20 points with eight rebounds and No. 12 Ohio State used a big second half to beat No. 8 Maryland 74-66 in Thursday night’s Big Ten Conference…

brunson towns
Jan 23, 2025 8:13 pm

Two Knicks among those designated NBA All-Star ‘starters’

A pair of New York Knicks were tapped for the NBA All-Star Game as New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and power forward Karl-Anthony Towns were named starters from the…

great osobor ucla
Jan 23, 2025 7:32 pm

Washington trying to keep spirits up ahead of rematch with UCLA

First-year Washington coach Danny Sprinkle has called his team’s January schedule “a month from hell.” It’s hard to argue, with the Huskies having suffered five consecutive defeats — all to…

More Basketball News

maryland
Jan 23, 2025 8:42 pm

Women’s Top 25 roundup: No. 12 Ohio State rallies past No. 8 Maryland

Jaloni Cambridge paired 20 points with eight rebounds and No. 12 Ohio State used a big second half to beat No. 8 Maryland 74-66 in Thursday night’s Big Ten Conference…

brunson towns
Jan 23, 2025 8:13 pm

Two Knicks among those designated NBA All-Star ‘starters’

great osobor ucla
Jan 23, 2025 7:32 pm

Washington trying to keep spirits up ahead of rematch with UCLA

Franz Wagner
Jan 23, 2025 7:03 pm

Magic star Franz Wagner returns after 20-game absence

hornets brandon miller
Jan 23, 2025 6:34 pm

Brandon Miller opts for season-ending wrist surgery

Read all
fb-post
advertisment
title-icon

Upcoming events

See all odds