Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler receives praise from former teammate

New York Knicks forward Taj Gibson, who played with Jimmy Butler in Chicago and Minnesota, credits Butler for the Miami Heat's success

While Miami Heat guard Jimmy Butler has been highly scrutinized by his behavior at previous stops, at least one of his former teammates considered him a valuable asset.

New York Knicks forward Taj Gibson, who played with Butler for six years in Chicago and in Minnesota from 2017-19, had nothing but praise for Butler when they were teammates. The Heat play the Knicks Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

“He’s always been capable of having breakout years,” Gibson told the New York Post. “He works extremely hard and is a great leader. He’s all about winning.”

Butler has been the biggest reason for the Heat’s fast start. At 27-11, they hold the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference a month before the NBA All-Star break. The Heat have missed the playoffs three of the last five years.

Butler, who was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers in the offseason, has made them relevant for the first time since almost making the conference finals in 2016. Gibson said Butler has brought back a commitment to winning within the organization.

The harmony is much different than when Butler asked his way out of Chicago. A 69-game stay in Minnesota was full of drama, including a profanity-laced tirade directed toward teammates during a practice. He was later traded to Philadelphia and was moved to Miami despite the 76ers coming within one shot of making the conference finals. 

With Butler in charge, the Heat are in position for their best finish since the years of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh when they made four straight NBA Finals, winning two championships.

“And that’s what they are doing,” Gibson said. “They are focusing on winning and doing the right kind of things and right kind of habits. I’m happy for him.”