How a product endorsed by Heat legend Tim Hardaway could help Jimmy Butler in Orlando
Dribbling a basketball in the hotel room caused Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler to receive a visit from security because guests filed noise complaints.
Only if Butler had sought the advice of one of the NBA's best-known dribblers before heading to Orlando for the season restart. Former Heat guard Tim Hardaway endorses the perfect equipment that would have prevented anyone from hearing Butler's dribbling routine.
Since 2018, Hardaway has marketed a product called "Dream Dribble," a basketball silencer that allows players to workout inside without disturbing others.
"It doesn't make any noise while dribbling," Hardaway said in a recent interview with Fox 2 News in Detroit. "Your parents are happy. They're not listening to that noise. It's very silent."
Hardaway, who played in Miami from 1995-2002, earned a reputation as one of the NBA's top dribblers. In college, his crossover dribble was nicknamed the "UTEP Two-Step." He is one of just five Heat players with their jersey retired, joining Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Alonzo Mourning.
Fans began tagging Hardaway on social media about introducing his product to Butler. The story is arguably the most interesting as teams during the first week inside the "bubble." With league restrictions because of COVID-19, players are looking for ways to stay entertained while remaining focused on basketball.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra wasn't surprised Butler decided on working out to keep busy.
"Before people start writing about that, we were not giving players programs to do those kind of things during their quarantine," Spoelstra said. "That's why I love Jimmy, not the one example of it. There's many things that he brings to the table. He has an unparalleled work ethic and he is a driven basketball player.
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