Despite having another strong season, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler was not selected as one of the starters for the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.
However, his teammates had his back, as evidenced by a couple of their tweets.
The Heat currently have a 31-13 record, good enough for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Butler has had as big a hand in that as anyone on the team, as he’s averaging 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.8 steals a game this season.
He faced some stiff competition in making the East’s starting lineup, as he couldn’t beat out Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pascal Siakam or Joel Embiid.
Butler’s chances of being an All-Star starter would seem to be even longer next season when Kevin Durant makes his much-anticipated debut for the Brooklyn Nets.
With all the high-level talent in the NBA during this era, the selection of starters for the league’s annual midseason classic is seemingly always rife with controversy.
Next week, coaches around the league will select the reserves for the All-Star Game. It would truly be shocking if Butler isn’t selected for one of the East’s final roster spots.