Jimmy Butler has been nothing short of a superstar lately. Ever since signing with the Miami Heat and training under Erik Spoelstra, he has been changing the change the narrative that was set around him. He was once viewed as a terrible teammate but little did his former associates know that Butler had his reasons. The Heat have been one of the most dominant teams in the league lately, all thanks to the 6x All-Star.
Jimmy Butler since joining the Heat 🔥
-First NBA Finals (2020) appearance since Bron era
-First No. 8 seed to reach NBA Finals since 1999
-First Play-In team to make Conf. Finals + NBA Finals
-Led Miami to third Conf. Finals in four seasons
-Headed to second NBA Finals in four… pic.twitter.com/YiOsg42GtL— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 30, 2023
The Boston Celtics were paired up against the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals this season. To everyone’s surprise, Boston failed to deliver during the first three games which gave the Heat a 3-0 lead. However, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics managed to tie the series by winning Games 4,5 and 6. It seemed as though the Heat’s season was about to end but Jimmy kept his word and led his team to a Game 7 victory.
Joe Mazzulla had a fairly successful season until the Celtics faced the Heat in the ECF. Mazzulla’s efforts failed him while Butler inches closer to winning his first title. However, this isn’t the first time Butler ruined Coach Mazzulla’s career either. People are beginning to question Mazzulla’s credibility as a coach and whether he will be able to lead the Celtics to a title anytime soon. But let’s take a dive into Butler and Mazzulla’s history together.
Jimmy Butler dominated Joe Mazzulla in college during the Big East Tournament
Jimmy Butler initially attended Tyler Junior College in 2007 before transferring to Marquette University a year later. Marquette was doing significantly better as it also had a rich history of accomodating athletes that have been successful in the league. Butler’s time at Marquette was phenomenal but a nightmare for young Joe Mazzulla. The Celtics coach played for West Virginia and competed in the same division as Marquette.
Eliminating Joe Mazzulla’s teams is not a new experience for Jimmy Butler 🤣
12 years ago, Butler and Marquette knocked Mazzulla’s West Virginia team out of the Big East Tournament, 67-61.
Monday night, Butler and the Heat eliminated Mazzulla’s Celtics from the NBA Playoffs 👋 pic.twitter.com/Wlb0C1OHu7
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 30, 2023
Jimmy Buckets was a major threat to Joe’s West Virginia Mountaineers team. While West Virginia was making a run to represent the division in the NCAA, the Golden Eagles and Butler put an abrupt end to their journey. The Eagles defeated the Mountaineers 67-61 and advanced further into the tournament. Marquette appeared during the NCAA Sweet Sixteen bracket but never made it all the way through.
Butler averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game that season. The 6ft 7inch forward was drafted into the league that year by the Chicago Bulls. He went on to play for the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves before making his way onto the Heat’s roster. He was never given a major role on those teams. But Jimmy’s perseverance worked out a great career with Miami so far.