Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images
A new Netflix documentary series revealed tragedy struck during the 2023-24 season for Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler.
The series, Starting 5, followed Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis and Jayson Tatum throughout the season last year. In the series, Butler revealed that his father died before the All-Star break.
“Right after All-Star break, [my teammates] really need me to be a lot better,” Butler said in the show. “I wanna always answer to that call. But I couldn’t care less about basketball right now. I don’t care. … It sucks to hurt. It sucks to lose people.
“I didn’t know what to do. No amount of money in the world could bring him back. Basketball, no matter how much I played it, it couldn’t fix that.”
In Starting 5, Butler said his father, Jimmy Butler Jr., died of a terminal illness on Feb. 8, which led to him taking a leave of absence following the tragedy as he missed the team’s final three games before the All-Star break (h/t the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang).
Despite a season of grieving for Butler, he still had a strong year, averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and five assists per game. He and the Heat put together a strong finish to the season and reached the playoffs, though Butler was injured as Miami fell short against the Boston Celtics in the first round.
Butler is now gearing up for his 14th NBA season and sixth with the Heat. Butler and Miami have been on the precipice of winning a championship for the last few years with a pair of NBA Finals appearances, but haven’t gotten over the hump just yet.
Butler has achieved plenty throughout his career but is still chasing his first championship. He’ll go up against a loaded Eastern Conference this year with the hopes of winning his first title.
Feb 13, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Mark Cuban laughs during the second half of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat at American Airlines
The Boston Celtics are one of the teams who are expected to be a contender at the end of the season. They are the defending NBA champions, so they feel like the
Nikola Jokić is still rewriting the record books — and treating it like just another day at the office. In a 149-141 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns
The New York Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA, but as of late, they have been defined more by their struggles than their triumphs.The Knicks are 0-7