Joel Embiid And Jimmy Butler Pay Their Respects After Heat Advance To Eastern Conference Finals

Embiid and Butler answer questions about what could’ve been if they remained teammates.

The Miami Heat are right where they want to be, and that is in the position to compete for an NBA Finals appearance.

Immediately after their Game 6 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers, Jimmy Butler was pulled aside to describe the feeling of advancing to Eastern Conference finals.

In that Interview, Butler didn’t hesitate to acknowledge the efforts from his former teammate Joel Embiid.

“I love him,” Butler said. “I’m proud of him. Yes, yes, yes, I still wish that I was on his team. I definitely love the Miami Heat, though, man. I’m glad that I’m here, but I’ve got so much respect and love for Joel Embiid.”

The two played with each other for only 55 games during the 2018-2019 season, but it was long enough for both to gain chemistry both on and off the court.

Same as Butler, Embiid is proud of what his former teammate has accomplished on the court.

“I’m so proud of him; he’s playing at an unreal level right now; he’s something else,” Embiid said. “I’m proud of him for being at this level and what he’s been able to do. I won’t sit here and say that I didn’t wish he was my teammate. I still don’t know how we let him go, but I wish I could still go to battle with him, but it is what it is.”

Butler showed no mercy for his old teammate in game 6 as he finished with 32 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal while shooting 44 percent.

Butler and the Heat now await the winner of the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics series for a battle in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

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Corey Holmes is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He is a film and television graduate from Notre Dame and has a master's degree in journalism from Morgan State. He can reached at coreyholmes4@gmail.com or on Twitter @coreyholmes4