“You completely just made that up”: Jimmy Butler hilariously reveals being unaware of comparison to Jayson Tatum
Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat have now clashed with Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics in three of the last four NBA playoffs, creating a newfound rivalry. Throughout those matchups, Jimmy Butler's Miami Heat prevailed in two of the three meetings. While the matchups have been exciting, Butler doesn't think he and Tatum belong in a conversation alongside Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
The most recent showdown between the two came in the 2022-23 Eastern Conference Finals, where Jimmy Butler and the Heat went up 3-0. Despite a spirited attempt at being the first team to come back from down 0-3, the Celtics wound up losing the series in seven games.
The year prior, the two sides again clashed in the Eastern Conference Finals, this time with Jayson Tatum and the Celtics prevailing in a seven-game series. With both teams making some notable offseason moves, there's a very real chance that the two sides meet in the playoffs again.
Despite that, Jimmy Butler doesn't see his rivalry with Tatum on the same level as the likes of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. While catching up with Sports Illustrated, he shot down the comparison, joking:
"First of all, I don't hear anybody talking about me vs Tatum. You completely just made that up"
Looking at the offseason moves made by Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat & Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics
This offseason saw the Boston Celtics make two blockbuster trades that brought them two highly sought-after players: Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. While they parted ways with Marcus Smart, the acquisitions of Porzingis and Holiday gave them a notable boost on both ends of the floor.
Despite questions about Porzingis' health throughout his NBA career, he has proven to be an elite offensive threat. In the case of Holiday, of course, the former standout for the Milwaukee Bucks has earned a reputation for being one of the best two-way players in the league.
On the flip side, the Miami Heat found themselves engaged in a longstanding standoff with the Portland Trail Blazers regarding Damian Lillard. While nothing came to fruition, the team did part ways with Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.
At the same time, they snagged highly-touted rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., and veteran Thomas Bryant, while also adding RJ Hampton and Josh Richardson. As the team looks to make another deep push in the playoffs, it will be interesting to see if they meet Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics once more.