Inside The Heat

Jimmy Butler Challenges Late-Arriving Miami Heat Home Crowds

Shandel Richardson

Apr 29, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) comments on the game from the bench during the first quarter of game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs, against the Boston Celtics, at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 29, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) comments on the game from the bench during the first quarter of game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs, against the Boston Celtics, at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports / Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports

Jimmy Butler is about to begin his sixth season playing for the Miami Heat.

For the most part, he's loved his time in South Florida. There is, however, one thing that bothers him. In an interview with Complex, Butler called out the Heat fans. He was specially referring to the ones who show up late for home games.

"The worst part, to me, our fans never show up on time," Butler said. "They never show up on time. I was like, `Damn, I want it to be rocking from like from the jump ball. Fans, come one, we need y'all."'

This criticism is nothing new for Heat fans. They have taken it since the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh days. The lower bowl usually fills in at some point during the first half but it takes a little longer than most arenas.

Part of it is traffic. Part of it is just folks being late. Regardless, the Heat fans always show up to support their team.

BAM TALKS OLYMPICS

Heat center Bam Adebayo is getting set to head to Paris for the summer Olympics for a second time.

Here's what he had to say about playing for the team during Thursday's media session.

"Obviously, you're going into a different situation, a different style of play," Adebayo said. "And the group, it's not you have to do four or five extra things. You've got to do one or two." 

He later added, "Everybody kind of lets their egos out," Adebayo said. "Winning the gold, it doesn't matter who scores the most, who rebounds the most. At the end of the day, you get a gold medal for your country." 

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Inside The Heat. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Twitter: @ShandelRich

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here