Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler Named Third-Team All-NBA

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler solidified himself as one of the league's top 20 players Wednesday when he was selected Third Team All-NBA.
It marked the third time Butler has earned the honor in his career. He was joined on the Third Team by Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (61) and Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook.
Butler, in his first year with the Heat after being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers last July, averaged a team-high 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He was chosen for the All-Star game and led the Heat to the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Behind Butler, the Heat now hold a 1-0 lead against the Boston Celtics in the conference finals. Game 2 is Thursday at 7 p.m. in Orlando. Butler, who also played with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves, is attempting to lead the franchise to its sixth NBA Finals appearance.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis
Antetokounmpo were unanimous First-Team selections. They were joined by Lakers forward Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Houston Rockets guard James Harden.
The Second Team featured Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (284), Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.
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Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here