Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler and longtime NBA guard Chris Paul exchanged words during the preseason bout between the Heat and San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 15.
The alleged audio of Butler and Paul going at it has since been leaked to the public.
Leaked Audio of Jimmy Butler trash talking Chris Paul
CP: I got 20 years in this sh*t
Jimmy: Idgaf how many years you got. Idgaf. I ain’t hearing that sh*t
(Via @legendz_nba) 😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/MBbxoGs8Jx
— Emo Jimmy (@HeatCulture13) October 20, 2024
The Heat won the preseason game in question by a final score of 120-117 behind a balanced scoring effort from the team. Five players reached double digits in points for Miami, and Butler finished with 12 while converting four of his five shots from the floor.
Conversely, Paul was one of the top performers for the Spurs in their defeat. He totaled 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and also dished out five assists. Paul signed with the Spurs not long after the Golden State Warriors made the decision to waive him in the offseason.
The 12-time All-Star has yet to make his regular-season debut with San Antonio, but the Spurs’ season opener against the Dallas Mavericks is only a couple of days away on Oct. 24.
One can draw comparisons between Paul’s and Butler’s NBA careers in the sense that both players have accomplished so much individually and knocked on the door of winning an NBA title but have yet to capture the ultimate prize. Butler and Paul have both played in the NBA Finals this decade.
First, Butler led the Heat to the championship series in 2020 and 2023. Miami lost to LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers at the dawn of the decade. More recently, the Denver Nuggets — who were led by Serbian big man Nikola Jokic — eliminated Butler and the Heat in five games in the 2023 NBA Finals.
As for Paul, he reached the NBA Finals in 2021, when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns alongside Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. The Suns got off to a great start to the championship series as well, considering they held a 2-0 series lead at one point before dropping Games 3, 4, 5 and 6.
