Sitting at the podium in Miami after last year’s Game 7 loss, Jimmy Butler was undaunted when he said the Miami Heat would be back, and next time the outcome would be different.
For so much of the season, that prediction appeared foolish. Butler did not care. In fact, he doubled down. When the team started 2-5, he told the Athletic that the Heat were going to win the championship. After a late-season loss in Orlando, he blithely sang along to Nickelback in the locker room.
And even after losing three straight games against the Boston Celtics in these East finals, Butler remained steadfast.