Jimmy Butler reportedly took private flights from the Heat only to see his ailing father

NBA Insider Chris Haynes questions the character assassination of Jimmy Butler by media covering the Miami Heat.

Jimmy Butler reportedly took private flights from the Heat only to see his ailing father

Jimmy Butler accused on flying private, staying in Airbnb's and skipping shootouts

As per new reports by NBA Insider Shams Charania, Jimmy Butler sat down face-to-face with Pat Riley leaving no doubt about his intensions of escaping South Beach Florida at the earliest opportunity. Since then, it has been reported that Butler is expected to have another sit-down with the Heat’s owner, Micky Arison, in the coming weeks.

As expected, both parties are starting to dig up dirt on each other in an effort to tarnish one another’s reputations. Based on the latest developments, it has been alleged that the Heat’s forward demanded to fly privately instead of taking flights on the team’s charter plane, stayed in Airbnb accommodations separate from the team, and was repeatedly late to practices and shootarounds. These actions ultimately led to his seven-game suspension.

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However, Chris Haynes has since appeared on Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz to dispute the claims, saying-

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“I was told in the last 5 years, Jimmy took less than 5 separate flights from the team and 4 of them were in the Finals against Denver when his father was sick.”

Chris Haynes on the Le Batard Show

Haynes continued, stating that, according to his sources, Jimmy Butler is fully prepared to return to the court in a Heat jersey if he is not traded before his suspension ends. Currently serving a seven-game suspension, Butler is expected to return to the Heat’s lineup versus the Denver Nuggets on January 17th, provided he is not traded before that date.

While Jimmy Butler‘s willingness to play for the Heat is certainly paradoxical, given his previous statement that he would prefer playing “anywhere except Miami,” Butler has made it clear to Riley that he will not sign a new deal with Miami. Additionally, he intends to use his $52 million player option for the 2025-26 season solely as leverage for a trade.

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Jimmy Butler opens about his dad’s demise in Netflix Documentary “Starting 5”

Jimmy Butler’s father, Jimmy Butler Jr., abandoned him as an infant, and his mother, Londa Butler, kicked him out of the house when he was only 13 years old, leaving him homeless in his teens. Despite these tragic life circumstances, Butler went on to be drafted into the NBA and earned millions of dollars. Since then, he has reconnected with his parents and maintained a close relationship with them.

In Netflix’s Starting 5, 35-year-old provided insights into his emotional journey following his father’s death. Jimmy Butler Jr. passed away on February 8, 2024, due to a terminal illness. During that challenging time, Butler took a leave of absence from basketball during the 2023-24 NBA season just before the All-Star break.

I couldn’t care less about basketball right now. I don’t care. … It sucks to hurt. It sucks to lose people. I didn’t know what to do. No amount of money in the world could bring him back. Basketball, no matter how much I played it, it couldn’t fix that.

Jimmy Butler remarked
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All the eyes are on this trade deal and NBA Insiders will continue to closely monitor any developments. It will be fascinating to see if team’s owner and Butler could somehow work this messy situation out. The front office’s reluctancy to offer an extension to an aging superstar and Butler’s crumbling relationship with Pat Riley, things always get worse before they get better.