Ex-Jimmy Butler Teammate Defends Heat Star’s Effort After Quiet Quitting Accusations

Jake Elman | 9 Hours Ago

Jan 2, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) looks on from the bench during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Former NBA big man Nikola Mirotić doesn’t like what he’s hearing about embattled Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler.

Mirotić, who spent three seasons with Butler on the Chicago Bulls, disputed the recent accusations about his former teammate ’quiet quitting’ on the Heat. Critics called out Butler’s effort before the Heat suspended him last week for conduct detrimental to the team.

“Jimmy Butler is probably the hardest-working player I’ve ever seen,” Mirotić told the First in Class podcast.

Mirotić recalled Butler’s “crazy routines” during their time together. According to Mirotić, Butler showed up to the Bulls’s practice facility at 3 a.m. with his personal coach and spend two hours lifting weights. 

Butler switched to basketball drills at 5 a.m., hours before Mirotić and the rest of the Bulls arrived for their practice.

“There were days when Jimmy would show up at practice, take off his shoes, and just sit on the side watching us practice,” Mirotić remembered. “I’d wonder, ‘Why isn’t Jimmy practicing?’ Then someone would tell me, ‘Jimmy already got his workout in with his coach earlier.’” 

“It was his own routine, and it worked for him,” Mirotić added. “He had his own rhythm, and after a while, I understood it.”

Butler is expected to rejoin the Heat when his seven-game suspension ends next week. He is currently eligible to play Jan. 17 against the Denver Nuggets.

WILL BUTLER PLAY FOR HEAT AGAIN?

Fans and pundits alike believed Butler played his final game for the Heat after receiving a seven-game suspension Jan. 3.

Less than a week later and some people, including a prominent NBA reporter, expect Butler to suit up for the Heat again.

On the Jan. 6 episode of Five in the Floor, Yahoo! Sports NBA analyst Vincent Goodwill said he didn’t believe Butler and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra have issues working with one another.

With rumors persisting about Butler’s short- and long-term future in Miami, Goodwill told host Ethan Skolnick he believes the All-Star forward can play—without too many issues—ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.

“I feel like Jimmy can come back and play because the thing already happened,” Goodwill said. “Now, would I expect both sides to sit in this boiling pot? No, I really don’t, Ethan, because it’s just ugly.”

HERRO TALKS NEARLY BEING DRAFTED BY HEAT

Here’s a nightmare scenario for Heat fans: imagine if the rival Boston Celtics drafted Tyler Herro in 2019.

On the Jan. 7 episode of The OGs podcast, Herro shared that the 18-time NBA champions intended on adding him to an already-loaded roster several years ago. Boston entered the 2019 draft having reached the Eastern Conference Finals in two of the previous three seasons.

“They had already guaranteed me the pick for the most part,” Herro said. “And then Miami took me right before at 13. So it was a blessing.”

One might think Herro prepared for the draft with no ideal team in mind. Not necessarily, especially when the league finalized the draft order that spring. 

“When I [saw] the numbers on the teams of where they were drafting and I see Miami was 13, I was set on Miami months prior before they even [drafted],” Herro recalled. 

“It was just like a dream to go to Miami.”

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.