Karl-Anthony Towns is an NBA champion. The former Minnesota Timberwolves No. 1 Draft pick has received a barrage of criticism throughout his career, which makes this championship that much more fulfilling. Now, he is on top of the world as the New York Knicks won their first championship in over 50 years.
The same can't be said for Towns' former Timberwolves teammate Jimmy Butler. Butler was once on a team that featured Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Jeff Teague, making headlines for his disputes with teammates over their effort and level of play. Now, they are champions (Teague: 2021 Bucks, Wiggins: 2022 Warriors, Towns: 2026 Knicks), while Butler remains ringless, despite his monster postseason outings with the Miami Heat.
Fans highlighted this shortcoming with mixed reactions.
Some highlighted Butler's narrative as still technically being true, as evidenced by his superstar playoff runs with Miami. He elevated the team to two Finals appearances and was just a few feet away from another appearance in 2022, where he barely missed a potential game-winner against the Boston Celtics in Game 7.
Others called out Butler for criticizing his teammates, stressing their championship pedigrees as testaments to their personal elevation, which he supposedly claimed they didn't have. Especially Towns, whom Butler notoriously had a bit of history with.
Either way, you have to acknowledge Butler's legend on the Heat. Butler was the head honcho on multiple Finals teams that otherwise had no business going that far. From going toe-to-toe with LeBron James in the 2020 Finals to his 56-point performance to put the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks on the brink of elimination, Butler nearly single-handedly made Miami a conference contender come playoff time.
Stagnation killed the Heat every year, as Pat Riley and the front office failed to pair Butler with a superstar. Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant, and Donovan Mitchell are a few of the many names the organization failed to acquire alongside Butler, whether it was a lack of resources or just stubborn choices by Riley.
Things ended on a bitter note, but Butler will always be held in high regard by Heat fans. He gave the fanbase hope for the first time since the Big Three days.
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Jayden Armant is a contributor for HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].
