With the NBA currently locked down due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, players across the league are being forced to find ways to workout from home. While these are professional athletes and they have trainers crafting them at home workouts that can keep them in decent physical shape, there are still some lacking the ability to keep their game sharp. Due to most of the country under national stay at home orders players have been locked out of facilities. Not only does this mean they can’t access their workout equipment, but many of them have also lost the ability to just shoot around.
There are a few players with home gyms or outdoor court set-ups, but the majority of players don’t even own a basketball hoop. Whether it’s from a desire to keep work and basketball separate or just not enough space, players across the league have struggled to find ways to get shots up at home due to simply not having the appropriate setup. One team that will be more ready than most? The Miami Heat.
Jimmy Butler recognized this problem early and has apparently sent rims to all his teammates so they could install them in their homes and get some shots up, via Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
Even before the Miami Heat revealed last week that he stood as the lone player on his team with access to a fixed basketball stanchion, backboard and rim, Jimmy Butler was dishing assists.
It turns out that the All-Star forward was ahead of the curve when it came to one-on-none basketball, ordering rims for his entire team at the same time had ordered the one for himself.
A party close to Butler confirmed Sunday to the South Florida Sun Sentinel that Butler already had the gear shipped from a Utah-based supplier at the time the Heat, during a media conference call Friday with strength coach Eric Foran, revealed that only Butler had such equipment in place, with teammate Goran Dragic working with a portable hoop.
This is a very nice gesture from Butler to his teammates. By sending them rims they should be able to find ways to at least get some semblance of shooting in. Now, whether those that live in apartments and condos will be able to get a goal set up remains to be seen, but this is the type of gesture that can set the team up to be in better rhythm if and when the NBA returns this summer.
Butler also ordered these rims for more than just his teammates. He’ll also be sending a shipment to local schools and youth facilities once stay at home orders have been lifted.
“In addition, Butler and his staff ordered an equivalent amount to eventually be distributed to schools or other youth facilities, once clearance for such use is allowing amid this current sheltering in place for the new coronavirus pandemic.”
Jimmy Butler’s borderline insane commitment to working out and working on his game has become a punchline at times — particularly when it gets to being theatrical, like the 3 a.m. workouts this offseason. However, in this case, his concern about his teammates being able to put work in seems genuine and he’s also going above and beyond for the community as well. Ball never stops for Butler and the Heat, even when everyone is stuck at home.