Jimmy Butler’s Michael Jordan moment flops as Nuggets destroy Miami Heat

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler tried to pull of a Michael Jordan 'return' move but failed in recent matchup against Nuggets in the NBA.

Jimmy Butler’s Michael Jordan moment flops as Nuggets destroy Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler returned to the lineup after completing his 7-match ban against the Denver Nuggets on home court. The crowd erupted when they heard Butler’s name announced in the starting lineup. Interestingly, Butler has been making headlines for another reason. He channeled his inner Michael Jordan ahead of this matchup.

By tweeting via his agent, Bernie Lee, earlier Friday, Butler echoed Michael Jordan’s well-known declaration before his 1995 comeback to the NBA: “I’m back.” On his Instagram story, Butler shared multiple photos of himself sporting Jordan’s No. 45 jersey, which the Chicago Bulls great wore when he returned to the floor.

YouTube video

However, this act by Butler did not receive much hype, mostly because the Heat lost to the Nuggets despite his presence on the court. Butler played for 33 minutes and finished with 18 points on 7 of 15 shooting, three rebounds, and two assists against the Nuggets. They lost the matchup by 133-113 on home court, adding to the ongoing woes.

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As for the Nuggets, Nikola Jokic recorded a triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. In addition, Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 30 points. With the win, Denver moved up to 25-16 and maintained their position as the fourth-ranked team in the Western Conference. All eyes will now shift to Butler’s trade situation going forward this week.

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Jimmy Butler makes his stance clear on ‘beef’ with Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler has been going through a lot in the past few weeks as a Miami Heat player lately. His comments about ‘not enjoying basketball’ and seeking a trade move did not go down well with the franchise. The Heat president, Pat Riley, also aimed jabs at him during a podcast. However, Butler cleared the air recently after the matchup against the Denver Nuggets,

It felt good to get out there and compete and actually run around with these guys. As much as everybody may think, I don’t got a problem with these guys. These guys are cool. They’re my friends. Some of ’em tapped in, some of y’all didn’t. Don’t think I don’t know that. My beef is not with them and never will be. Never has been.

Jimmy Butler told the reporters
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Butler’s desire for a contract extension—a two-year, $113 million maximum extension—is his real grievance with Miami. Butler’s dissatisfaction and desire to be dealt with were exacerbated by the Heat’s lack of interest in extending him. Aside from this, on Sunday, the Heat will face the San Antonio Spurs, while the Nuggets will play the Orlando Magic to round out their two-game Florida swing.