Inside The Heat

Kevin Love Continues Social Media Trolling With Bam Adebayo Post

Feb 26, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Miami Heat forward Kevin Love (42) celebrates with center Bam Adebayo (13) during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Miami Heat forward Kevin Love (42) celebrates with center Bam Adebayo (13) during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

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The Miami Heat rely on veteran big man Kevin Love more for his leadership and experience than his playing skills at this point.

As we’ve learned in recent weeks, Love has a sense of humor, too.

With his playing time limited this season, Love has spent his free time trolling teammates. Love has poked fun at Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro recently, and he added All-Star center Bam Adebayo to the club Thursday.

Love posted a video from The Green Mile before Thursday’s road game with the Bucks. The clip features John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) making a speech that seemingly resonated with Love.

“I’m tired, boss,” Coffey says. “Tired of bein’ on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain.

“I’m tired of never having me a buddy to be with,” Coffey adds, “to tell me where we’s going to or coming from, or why.”

“Bam in Spo’s office pouring his heart out over this whole situation…” Love wrote, likely alluding to the ongoing Jimmy Butler saga. 

Wednesday night, Love shared a Scarface clip on Instagram featuring Tony Montana (Al Pacino) angrily cursing in a restaurant. The five-time All-Star captioned the post, “Jimmy dining out in Miami this evening…”

“You all a bunch of f***in’ a**holes,” Montana says in the clip. “You know why? You don’t have the guts to be what you wanna be. You need people like me. 

“You need people like me so you can point your f***in’ fingers and say, ‘That’s the bad guy,’” Montana continues. 

Miami suspended Butler on Wednesday after he missed a team flight. The Heat previously suspended Butler on Jan. 3, one day after he requested a trade.

Barring a trade or further punishment, Butler can return next Monday against the Magic.

ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported Tuesday the Heat are having “productive conversations” and moving closer to dealing Butler. 

Butler said last week he approved of Love’s humor, even if it came at his expense. 

“I like Kev, but [he’s] not more petty than I am,” Butler told reporters, “and he’s giving me a run for my money.”

PARKER RIPS BUTLER AGAIN

If Butler needs someone to vouch for him this summer, he shouldn’t call Fox Sports Radio host Rob Parker.

Parker has frequently criticized Butler throughout the trade drama, and he again unleashed on the six-time All-Star.

“He’s unreliable, unprofessional, and is a big baby when he doesn’t get his way,” Parker said Thursday. “It is awful.”

Parker went one step further, essentially urging owners to band together and refuse to sign Butler this summer. Butler can hit unrestricted free agency if he declines a $52 million player option.

“I wouldn’t touch this guy with a 10-foot pole,” Parker argued on The Odd Couple. “I wouldn’t give him anything. I don’t care.

“Who would want to go and sign up or get in bed with somebody who’s done this in the other stops that he’s been?” Parker continued.

Parker notably blasted Butler in late December, shortly after Heat president Pat Riley declared the team wouldn’t trade the All-Star forward.

“Jimmy Butler, you signed a contract,” Parker said Dec. 26. “Live up to it.”

HOLBROOK UPDATES BUTLER MURAL

Miami-based artist Kyle Holbrook made waves with a viral Butler mural in Wynwood following the latter’s suspension earlier this month. 

Less than a month later, Holbrook and Butler are back for more. 

Holbrook unveiled updates to the Butler mural Wednesday, with an emphasis on the All-Star forward’s headband and coffee cup.

“Jimmy Butler has always been a dynamic and complex figure, both on and off the court,” Holbrook said. “This mural evolves with him, capturing the essence of his journey and the dialogue he sparks.”

The headband initially read “I Quit.” Holbrook replaced that text with the phrase “No Comment,” which he says symbolizes “the star’s enigmatic and often unpredictable relationship with the media and his team.”

Meanwhile, the coffee cup now features a combination logo of Big Face Coffee and Mr. Yuck. Previously, the cup read “Please Pay Me.”

Miami artist Kyle Holbrook updated his Jimmy Butler mural.
Miami artist Kyle Holbrook updated his Jimmy Butler mural. | Kyle Holbrook

“This fusion playfully acknowledges Butler’s entrepreneurial coffee brand while adding an edgy twist that aligns with recent controversies,” Holbrook said. 

MIAMI HEAT ON SI’S JIMMY BUTLER COVERAGE

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.


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Jake Elman
JAKE ELMAN

Jake Elman is a veteran sports journalist and graduate of Florida Atlantic University’s journalism program. In recent years, he has covered the NFL for EndGame360 and served as the sports content lead for ExpressVPN. He also covered the Lane Kiffin years at FAU for the Palm Beach Post.

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