Miami Heat veteran Jimmy Butler offered a unique take on physical play in the NBA by noting that there should be more brawls.
Jimmy Butler says he wants more brawls in the NBA
“They’re not letting you get into no brawls no more. Nobody’s going to let you do that. I wish that they would let us do that a little bit, if I’m just being honest.”
(Via Complex) pic.twitter.com/58J1EeMaFt
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 8, 2022
Throughout Butler’s career in the league, he’s presented an aggressive on-court attitude that’s led to heated moments with other players. Those actions have included basic trash-talking and some taunting, actions that can easily lend themselves to fisticuffs.
Butler’s desire to see more brawls won’t come to pass simply because of the steep fines and suspensions that now result from players throwing punches and taking other violent actions.
Those enforcement policies by the league were developed as the NBA became more popular, since brawling was no doubt seen by the NBA as negative press.
In the first few decades of the league, rough play on the court was a regular scene, with fights inevitably breaking out. Even in the 1980s and ’90s, teams like the Detroit Pistons embraced an image as “Bad Boys,” a philosophy that resulted in a number of fights and ejections.
Prior to coming to the Heat in 2019, Butler played for three other NBA teams and evolved into a team leader, thanks to his fiery approach.
Those leadership qualities have remained during Butler’s time with the Heat, with some of his actions forcing teammates to step in before things got out of hand.
With more brawls out of the picture, Butler is instead focusing his energies more on the Heat’s current fortunes.
Following the Heat’s win on Monday night, they continue to hold the best record in the Eastern Conference at 35-20. They close out their six-game road trip on Wednesday night with a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans..
