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Heat’s Jimmy Butler back to Jimmy Butler, with ’emo’ look gone and braids back

ira winderman, south florida sun-sentinel
·3 min read

BOCA RATON — Jimmy Butler made his statement Monday at the Miami Heat’s media day at Kaseya Center with his “emo” look.

Tuesday, it was back to business for the team’s leading man, which meant mock piercings and straightened hair gone and braids back in place, just as they were the previous time he was in action in team colors, during the NBA Finals in June.

And with that, Butler left the court at Florida Atlantic University without a comment, bypassing a media session following the opening drills of training camp.

To coach Erik Spoelstra, it was the perfect combination of Monday being a time for play and Tuesday being a time to get back to work.

“I don’t really give it that much thought,” Spoelstra said. “It’s really not as much as (the media). He likes to come in to keep you guys off balance, and he came in today ready to work. That’s all that matters to me.”

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The Heat certainly found themselves in a basketball setting, on the same court that FAU’s Owls used as a takeoff point to last season’s NCAA Tournament Final Four.

That had Spoelstra, Heat President Pat Riley and others from the team talking with FAU coach Dusty May after practice.

“It’s been very inspiring with what they’re been able to do and build this program to the level they had,” Spoelstra said. “We were all watching. It’s a lot of fun right now being a fan of South Florida sports. And FAU’s run was one for the memories, for sure. And I’m looking forward to catching up with him this week, him and his staff.”

May’s team took the court for offseason work between the Heat’s two camp sessions, which are closed to the public.

Back at it

Tuesday was the first time the Heat were on the court as a team since the NBA Finals, with Butler and Tyler Herro having worked on their own when most other teammates were scrimmaging ahead of camp at Kaseya Center.

“You typically have a good day one from an enthusiasm standpoint,” Spoelstra said. “But obviously we brought back quite a few guys. So we were able to fast-track and get into a lot more live play than we normally do on the first practice.

“The guys came in in great shape, so they wanted to compete. We were able to do that.”

Spoelstra said he had no issue being back in camp just over three months from completing the NBA Finals.

“It’s an incredible privilege,” he said. “If you can just tell me, guarantee, that we would play until late June every year, I’d sign up like right now. You can have a short summer, but that’s really kind of a silly thing, to say, ‘Oh, you love what you do. Don’t you want to be on vacation longer?’ No, this is what we live for.

“This is what we dream about, to be able to play until June. I mean, obviously, we would have liked to have finished it off. But I’ve had plenty of time to spend for family.”

Waiting game

Spoelstra said he plans to name a replacement captain for Udonis Haslem, who retired at the end of last season after 20 years with the team. Spoelstra said that announcement likely would not come until after camp.

“An adjustment, for sure, probably more so for me than everybody else in the locker room,” Spoelstra said of opening camp without Haslem. “Teams transition. The guys are used to it, that you have different players. UD’s presence was so unique that you can’t compare it to any other situation in the league. I’ve always known him to be in our locker rooms.”