Tennessee's Butch Jones to attend NBA Finals Game 7 as Erik Spoelstra's guest

Butch Jones is seen here talking about UT or Mike Miller's shoeless three in Game 6. (Collegiate Images/Getty Images)

By Zac Ellis

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will have a special guest in attendance for Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night: Tennessee football coach Butch Jones.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Jones flew down to Miami on Thursday to watch the deciding game between the Heat and the San Antonio Spurs as Spoelstra's guest. Jones and Spoelstra formed a friendship through their mutual agent, Trace Armstrong.

Jones sat courtside in Miami last year when the Heat won the title by disposing of the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games.

The Tennessee coach told the News Sentinel he hopes Spoelstra will make his way to Knoxville for a football game this fall:

“We really hit it off,” Jones said. “We started to build a relationship and that trust factor. We found out we believe in a lot of the same core values and principles about motivating and developing your team from a leadership standpoint. And then we just kept talking and talking.”

Jones has been following the series between the Heat and Spurs very closely:

https://twitter.com/UTCoachJones/status/347200237485555713