If the 2023 NBA playoffs had a main character, it would very likely be Jimmy Butler. After nearly losing in the Play-In Tournament to the Chicago Bulls, Butler put on a cape in Miami’s first round matchup against the 1-seed Milwaukee Bucks and turned into a superhero, as he was the driving force in one of the great playoff upsets of all time. Butler completely demoralized the Bucks with a herculean 56 point performance and two double-digit fourth quarter comebacks to send the Bucks packing in just five games.
Then, Butler and the Heat visited Madison Square Garden to pull off another playoff series upset — albeit a far less surprising one — against the New York Knicks. For two short weeks, Butler drew the ire from all of New York City and still came out on top. But even though he’s one of the hottest stars in the league, he’s still capable of turning into a fan. Before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Butler ran into Inside The NBA’s Ernie Johnson and had a delightful reaction to the TNT personality going out of his way to say hi.
“He knows who I am”
@JimmyButler greeted by @TurnerSportsEJ ahead of Game 2 on TNT! pic.twitter.com/WMXVDTJrgV
— NBA (@NBA) May 19, 2023
“Ran into a legend. He knows who I am”
Jimmy’s reaction to Ernie is priceless
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 19, 2023
Butler is a huge Ernie fan, just like all of us here at Dime. If Butler goes off for 60 points in Game 2, you have to assume this inspired his big night.