MIAMI — A throng of college students waited at the exit of the gym on the campus of Barry University, lining a path the Golden State Warriors took to their team bus. Stephen Curry had already exited following practice. So had Draymond Green. And coach Steve Kerr. Still, hundreds waited. The imposing warmth of South Florida proved no match for the affinity keeping them patient.
They wanted Jimmy Butler.
Word spread among the fans he’d exit through a different door, as he wasn’t riding the team bus. And when he indeed emerged through a different door, the animated horde shouted “Jimmy!” and ran to Butler. Swarmed him with cheers and camera phones for his entire walk from the gym to the awaiting black SUV.
Butler didn’t stop. Didn’t sign autographs. Didn’t hurry either. He just strolled casually and smiled, allowing the young adult exuberance to spritz him.
And then, Butler was gone.
It was a premonition of Tuesday night’s anticipated return to the Kaseya Center, the arena where he secured his legendary status during six seasons with the Miami Heat, this time as a Warrior after last month’s trade deadline deal that sent him to the Bay Area. Butler arrived in Miami to considerable fanfare. And left without much of a response.
Butler was worthy of the hype. Not only because of how he put the Heat on his back on epic postseason runs, establishing himself as one of the league’s prominent figures. But because he delivers the drama along with his dominance. Because he understands moments and how to manufacture spectacle, especially when he feels disrespected.
It’s what made Tuesday’s result, a 112-86 Heat rout, so underwhelming. It was void of the moments that make such affairs special. The energy and the emotion were wanting. Butler, facing either double teams or the aggression of the Heat, continued what he’s been doing — moving the ball, making the right play. Though the Warriors needed his offense terribly, he played like a man refusing to feed into what the masses wanted.
“It was behind me a long time ago,” Butler said when asked if he’s glad his return is over. “As soon as I ended up a Golden State Warrior, everything that went on was dead.”
What seemed to have so much potential for a climactic chapter in the saga of Butler and the Heat wound up a resounding dud.
Well, not for the Heat, who throttled the Warriors, becoming the latest mediocre opponent to look extraordinary against Golden State. Miami’s Bam Adebayo matched the energy they expected from Butler. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins, Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware, they played like this game meant something. They volunteered as tribute to defend the honor of Pat Riley, the Heat’s head honcho and target of Butler’s ire.
Adebayo especially flexed on Golden State, controlling both ends. Miami made 17 of its 25 from deep. The only part more astounding than the Heat shooting 68 percent from 3 is that they didn’t shoot 50 of them.
“We’ve got to make sure that we are approaching every game like we’re playing the best team in the NBA,” Green said. “Because that’s what teams turn into when they play us. They play out of their minds. … But, in saying that, it’s the NBA. Everybody’s got talent. Whether a team with a winning record or not, everybody’s got talent and can beat you on any night. We’ve got to make sure we figure these games out.”
Miami played a video honoring Butler before the game, and he watched it from the Warriors bench while sipping an espresso.
He recognized the gesture with one of his own. A wave to the crowd. A stoic stare. It was almost as if he were bullied by the moment to acknowledge the sentiment he’d earned.
“I mean, it took me back to some good times from when I was wearing a Miami Heat jersey,” Butler said. “I’m very appreciative of those times to help me become the player that I am in this league, the individual that I am in this league, the teammate, the leader — all of those things. I don’t think I could be who I am today without my opportunity here. I’ll tell you that.”
But it still didn’t deliver the fervor such a reunion deserves. The Heat crowd was typical in its distracted energy. They cheered during the video and booed whenever Butler touched the ball. But Heat fans clearly weren’t foaming at the mouth to avenge their 31-41 squad. And they clearly don’t hate Butler enough to turn the Miami vibe of the stadium into something intimidating.
“You know, Miami,” Kerr said, “it’s a great place to live. So people don’t ever seem too amped up around here. They’re living a good life. So it really wasn’t that rabid of an environment. It was typical Miami. I think the main part of Jimmy’s return is that the Heat was ready and (Spoelstra) had them ready.”
It takes two to tango, and the Warriors, who learned before the game Curry’s bruised tailbone would keep him out, played as if they’d been dancing on South Beach for three days. And Butler, the volcanic personality who’s been known to generate stories worthy of folklore with his competitive spirit, didn’t produce a new tale of his greatness, scoring just 11 points. Not even he could vaccinate the South Beach Flu going around Golden State.
The bigger issue for the Warriors is their playoff positioning. Miami was the second losing team they’ve lost to on this six-game road trip. They’re in a playoff fight, dangling over the Play-In Tournament, hoping not to fall.
This seemed the perfect occasion for the Butler explosion. To get a preview of the Playoff Jimmy to whom the Warriors have tied their future. But this moment didn’t conjure him. This trip was much more about him spending time with his kids, whom he’s scarcely seen since being traded to California, than it was sticking it to Miami.
But it fits Butler’s antithetical disposition. Forever against the grain. Refusing to march to the percussions of others. We wanted a clash. We wanted drama. We waited in the glow of Miami for a glimpse of the captivating Butler. In the end, he and the Warriors exited this night in a different way.
“I see it for what it is,” he said. “A chapter has ended. A new one has begun.”
And then, Butler was gone.
(Top photo of Jimmy Butler acknowledging the crowd at Miami’s Kaseya Center on Tuesday: Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBAE via Getty Images)
