With Miami Heat facilities closed due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic, a new report indicates that Jimmy Butler has taken it upon himself to send portable baskets to each of his teammates and coaches.
Butler, who’s living in the San Diego area, sent the hoops as a way to keep each player as sharp as possible if and when play resumes for the 2019-20 NBA season.
Teammate Goran Dragic is the lone member of the Heat to already have such equipment at his home.
The hoops were delivered within the past week and were sent by the manufacturer Lifetime, a Utah-based company.
In addition to his largesse with teammates, Butler also sent hoops to youth centers and schools in the Miami area. At present, those facilities are also closed.
Butler’s ferocious desire to win is the obvious basis for his gift and was made possible by the $32.7 million he was earning this season with the Heat.
The nine-year veteran had played a key role in helping the Heat improve to a 41-24 record at the time of last month’s shutdown of play. Statistically, the 30-year-old Butler is averaging 20.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game this year.
Right now, there remains no timetable concerning if and when the NBA season will resume, with June seen as the earliest time for teams to get back on the court.
The good news for the Heat is that when they do return to action, the amount of rust from being away will be kept to a minimum, thanks to Butler’s gift.
