Recently, the NBA started to allow the loved ones of players to enter the league’s bubble site in Orlando, Fla.
Unlike many players, however, the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler won’t be allowing any of his family into the bubble site.
According to TNT sideline reporter Allie LaForce, Butler’s reasoning is that he equates being in the bubble to a business trip.
“For the first time in over 50 days, the players get to see their wives, their girlfriends, their children,” said LaForce during Game 1 between the Heat and Milwaukee Bucks. “It’s very exciting for them, but for other players, they didn’t want their families to come in, and no offense to families, but Jimmy Butler said, ‘This is a business trip for me. [I’m] not messing around, everyone wants to have their family without a doubt, but we’ve been doing this for this long, what’s another couple months? It is an individual decision. I respect that decision that my teammates make, but for me, I’m here for business.’”
Butler’s austere style of leadership has been criticized for years, but within the Heat organization, it has been lauded. Teammates Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic, in particular, have sung Butler’s praises for keeping everyone in line while keeping it real.
Butler’s way of confronting teammates and making sure everyone stays focused seems tailor-made for an organization that’s run by Pat Riley.
In Game 1 on Monday, the Marquette University product had 40 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the field as Miami overcame an early 40-29 deficit to win going away, 115-104.
Not many people are picking Miami to defeat Milwaukee in this best-of-seven series, but with Butler controlling crunch time and keeping his teammates mentally prepared, the Heat should have a real shot.
