Jimmy Butler’s camp is trying to set the record straight in the midst of another unflattering claim emerging about the Miami Heat star.
A report broke this week detailing Butler’s alleged antics over the last year-plus with the Heat. Among other things, the report claimed that Butler insisted on taking private flights separate from Miami’s team charter.
NBA reporter Chris Haynes appeared Tuesday on “The Dan Le Batard Show” and issued a rebuttal from Butler’s camp to that part of the report.
“I do have some insight from Jimmy’s camp … In the last five years, I was told Jimmy took less than five separate flights from the team,” said Haynes. “Four of them were during the [2023] Finals against Denver when his father was sick. They’re clearly trying to finish the narrative that he was just flying, privately and separately, frequently.”
“I was told in the last 5 years, Jimmy [Butler] took less than 5 separate flights from the team and 4 of them were in the Finals against Denver when his father was sick.”@ChrisBHaynes shares insight from Jimmy Butler’s camp in reponse to a report about Butler taking private… pic.twitter.com/krqMtWpLNy
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) January 14, 2025
Indeed, Butler’s father Jimmy Butler Jr. (the six-time NBA All-Star’s full legal name is Jimmy Butler III), died in Feb. 2024 after battling a terminal illness. Butler opened up in the Netflix series “Starting 5” about his father’s illness and eventual death. During the series, Butler revealed that his father was first hospitalized during Miami’s 2023 Finals run. The illness had then worsened by the next calendar year, and Butler then took a leave of absence from the Heat after his father died.
You can read more about what Butler shared in the Netflix series about his father’s health issues here.
Though Butler certainly had a good reason for taking those separate flights, several other uncomplimentary allegations have recently emerged about his behavior with the Heat too. The 35-year-old Butler, who can become a free agent in the summer, continues to seek a trade from Miami and sent a clear message to Heat president Pat Riley in a face-to-face meeting this week.
