The Miami Heat have a formidable tandem in Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic whenever the two players are on the floor at the same time.
Apparently, their connection on the court is just as solid off the court as well.
Butler recently admitted that his fondness for Dragic continues to grow as the season progresses.
“Man, me and G talk about all types of stuff,” Butler said. “We send each other all types of things that we find on the internet. I don’t know, man. I was talking to [Heat assistant athletic trainer Armando Rivas] the other day, like G is moving up on my all-time favorite teammates list.”
Dragic explained that the friendship between them happened organically. He also says that he finds his new teammate quite hilarious, something that many might find difficult to believe about the four-time All-Star.
“It just happened,” Dragic said. “I feel like some things, you can’t just force it. We get along. I didn’t know that he was a huge soccer fan, and I am, too. We just connected. It’s one of those things that just happened. … I just like his character. He’s funny.”
One thing that Butler admires in Dragic is not only his competitiveness, but also the respect he commands as a player.
“Fierce competitor. He really don’t say much,” Butler said. “But he will [expletive] eat you, for real. Then just the respect he has around the league, in this organization and from his teammates just goes to show how he’ll run through a wall for you. If he can go, he’s going to go.”
Butler and Dragic are two of the key reasons why the Heat now own the league’s third-best record at 24-8.
After escaping with a narrow 117-116 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, Miami is currently riding a five-game winning streak ahead of its game against the Washington Wizards on Monday.
