Shams Charania believes the Miami Heat have taken on Jimmy Butler’s personality
Shams Charania believes Jimmy Butler has influenced the Miami Heat roster since joining the team in 2019. The famous "Heat Culture" resonates with Butler. Accountability is an integral principle within the culture. This has led to several on-court spats internally between players. Sometimes it also extends to arguments between players and coaches.
Miami saw one of those instances again. During the Heat's 112-111 win over the OKC Thunder on Tuesday, backup center Dewayne Dedmon got into a spat with head coach Erik Spoelstra and threw a massage gun on the court before getting tossed out of the game.
Charania believes the Heat have adapted to Butler's personality. Here's what the NBA insider said during an appearance on FanDuel TV:
"When you look at this team and what Erik Spoelstra spoke about, the Heat Culture and how they get into spats. This team has taken on Jimmy Butler's personality ever since he got there a few years ago."
“This team has really taken on Jimmy Butler’s personality...”
@ShamsCharania on this Miami Heat team and #HEATCulture
#RunItBack | FanDuel.com/TV https://t.co/Nnlu1KU14Q
Spoelstra hinted that the spat was part of what Heat Culture brings to the table. Last season, during a regular season game against the Golden State Warriors at home, Jimmy Butler was involved in an ugly spat on the bench with Spoelstra and veteran forward Udonis Haslem.
Butler has had a history of run-ins with his coaches since his time in Minnesota. Multiple reports suggest the four-time All-Star was unhappy with the Timberwolves players' lack of professionalism at the time.
Jimmy Butler's mentality is exactly what the Miami Heat have thrived on over the last few seasons
Since Jimmy Butler's arrival, the Miami Heat have become one of the most prominent teams in the Eastern Conference. After years of struggle since LeBron James' departure in 2014, the Heat made the NBA Finals in Butler's first season in 2020.
He led them to a conference finals appearance last season and single handedly stretched the series to seven games against eventual winners the Boston Celtics. Butler is one of the most unusual superstars the league has ever seen.
His per-game production is far from MVP-caliber, but his impact on the floor is as significant as most rival superstars. Jimmy Butler has also emerged as a reliable performer in the postseason during his time with the Heat.
It's a perfect partnership between the organization and the player, as Butler displays the traits the "Heat Culture" stands for. His leadership and ability to hold everyone accountable and push for his teammates' success make him the ideal superstar to lead the team's charge.