Miami Heat small forward Jimmy Butler is one of the most confident players in the NBA.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Butler pretty much guaranteed the Heat will win the 2023 Finals against the Denver Nuggets during Miami’s Game 2 media day on June 3.
The Heat lost Game 1 to the Nuggets on June 1 by 11 points. Butler finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while shooting 6-of-14 from the field and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc. The six-time All-Star didn’t shoot any free throws for the first time in the 2023 playoffs.
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat & Denver Nuggets Updates
The Nuggets are undefeated at home in the 2023 postseason. They’ve only lost three total games these entire playoffs. Butler is one of the top players in the NBA, but his comments are pretty bold considering how well the Nuggets are playing right now on both sides of the ball.
But this is who Butler is. His belief and inner confidence helped him become one of the greatest basketball players in the world despite being a bench player to begin his career with the Chicago Bulls in 2011. The Marquette product didn’t become a star until the 2014-15 season with the Bulls, but ever since that season in Chicago, Butler has never looked back.
It will be interesting to see if the Heat can win this series versus the Nuggets, who are the heavy-betting favorites to win the championship. Butler is averaging 27.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the 2023 playoffs. He always plays with a chip on his shoulder despite being an All-NBA player, which is why Jimmy is a perfect fit for the Heat.
NBA NEWS & FINALS COVERAGE: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat & Denver Nuggets Updates
Miami lost the 2020 Finals to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in Butler’s first season in South Beach. Only time will tell if the Heat can win it all this time around.
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