As shown in Netflix’s NBA series Starting 5, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has spoken out about the intense grief he went through during the 2023–24 NBA season. Butler has had tremendous personal hardships off the court during the last 18 months, including the tragic death of his father Jimmy Butler Jr. on February 8, 2024, following a fight with a fatal disease. The impact of this catastrophe and Butler’s emotional journey are emphasized in episodes 5 and 6 of the 10-part series.
In Episode 5, Butler said, “When somebody you’ve lost a lot—someone who has taught you a lot and watched you grow from a child to a young adult to a star to the man that I am today as a father—and then all of a sudden he’s not there anymore, I didn’t know what to do.” “All the money in the world couldn’t make him come back. No matter how much I played, basketball was unable to make that better.
The condition of Jimmy Butler’s father was made public prior to the crucial Eastern Conference Finals Game 7.
The condition of Butler’s father was initially identified during Miami’s 2023 postseason run. Butler’s father started to exhibit signs that eventually led to his death, during the Heat’s Eastern Conference Finals series against the Boston Celtics and their second-round series against the New York Knicks. The diagnosis was made shortly before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, which was crucial for the Heat as they battled to avoid becoming the first club to lose a postseason series after leading 3-0. Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, disclosed this information during the series.
Lee stated, “That doctor called me before the game was supposed to start and said they got the test results back and that his father’s health issue was going to be terminal.” Lee had to decide whether or not to notify Butler prior to the game, so he told him right away. “I want to know right then and there. Lee said, “I couldn’t live with not telling him that the moment I knew it.
Jimmy Butler delivered an incredible effort, scoring 28 points to help the Miami Heat win Game 7 despite hearing the heartbreaking news. Butler was voted the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP, and the victory guaranteed Miami a spot in the NBA Finals.
Butler took the time to see his father, who had followed the Heat’s playoff journey from Miami, prior to the Finals. When I gave him the MVP award for the Eastern Conference Finals, Butler remembered, “it gave him a different type of energy, like, ‘Yo, we’re going to beat this.'”
Butler fights hurt and grief while carrying on his father’s legacy.
In the Heat’s 116-104 triumph over the San Antonio Spurs on February 7, 2024, Jimmy Butler earned a triple-double, one day before his father passed away. That evening, he gave his father his shoes at the hospital, writing the date on them. “It’s crazy that that triple-double was the last game that my dad was alive,” Butler remarked, looking back on the occasion.
Following the death of his father, Butler left the Heat for a short while, skipping the team’s final three games prior to the All-Star break. When he came back, he acknowledged having emotional difficulties. “I want to take that call every time. However, at the moment, I couldn’t give a damn about basketball,” Butler remarked in Episode 6. “Everything will settle in as soon as that ball stops bouncing and I get back home.”
Butler tried to refocus, but for the rest of the season, his loss was a constant burden. In addition, he had medical setbacks, such as an MCL sprain that kept him out of the Heat’s opening-round playoff matchup. Butler reflected on his experience and concluded, “It stinks to hurt.” Losing folks is terrible. However, I’m a very human being, and I’m in pain right now.
Jimmy Butler’s priorities have changed as he gets ready for the 2024–25 campaign. He now plays for the legacy of his father in addition to his own achievement. Butler said, “I really don’t take anything for granted now more than ever.” “My father was unique. Even though he isn’t here right now, I know he will always be.
