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As the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat defied the odds and made it to the NBA Finals to face the Denver Nuggets.
The underdog mentality has been something head coach Erik Spoelstra has shrugged off when it comes to his group.
He believes his Heat are made for moments like these, where the spotlight is the brightest and the pressure is on.
Jimmy Butler is ready. And his Game 1 fit says everything you need to know about his mindset entering this series with favored Denver.
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Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics May 25, 2023, at the TD Garden in Boston. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
While walking into Ball Arena in Denver, Butler wasn’t flashy with his outfit. He had on a black T-shirt, black pants and some lime green sandals. But it was the T-shirt that had his mindset written all over the back of it.
"Four more," the shirt said.
Four more wins and the Heat will be crowned NBA champions. For Butler, it’s all he’s been searching for since he entered the league.
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During an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Butler explained why he didn’t touch the trophy Bam Adebayo tried giving him after winning the Eastern Conference.
"I play for Mr. O’Brien," Butler said, referring to the Larry O’Brien Trophy, awarded to the NBA champions. "You can take the All-Stars. … You can take the All-NBA. All defensive team, don’t care. I really only want to win a championship."
Butler has been named to six All-Star teams and five All-NBA teams during his 11-year career. The 33-year-old has yet to hoist the O’Brien trophy. To do so, he’ll have to go through one of the best teams we’ve seen all season in the Nuggets.
MVP runner-up Nikola Jokic has been the star the Nuggets needed him to be since the first round tipped off. And Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Aaron Gordon have been tough for the West to deal with.
Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat reacts during the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals at TD Garden May 19, 2023, in Boston. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
In the east, the underdog hasn’t seemed like an underdog, dating back to the NBA play-in tournament, where the Heat lost to the Atlanta Hawks before defeating the Chicago Bulls to qualify for the first round.
They weren’t supposed to get past the Milwaukee Bucks, the top seed in the East, but they managed to beat them in just five games. That series included Butler dropping 56 and 42 points in Games 4 and 5, respectively.
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Next up were the New York Knicks. That took six games, but the Heat eventually got it done at home. Finally, the Celtics series was scary for Miami. Boston blew a 3-0 lead that allowed it the chance to make history with a Game 7 victory. But Butler and the Heat blew out the Celtics in Boston in Game 7 to advance.
To win this series, the Heat need Butler at his best on both ends of the court. Butler is averaging 28.5 points in these playoffs with 7.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.1 steals over 17 contests.
Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat arrives to the arena before Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets June 1, 2023, at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
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But telling by his T-shirt’s message and nonchalant stroll into the arena, Butler understands the assignment well heading into Game 1 Thursday night.