The NBA Finals are finally here, and even though this is obviously the biggest stage of the competition, the narrative might not focus solely on what goes downs on the court.
People had talked a lot about these teams’ altercation back in 2021 when Nikola Jokic shoved Markieff Morris in the back in response to a hip check and some trash-talking.
Notably, Miami Heat players waited outside of the Denver Nuggets’ locker room for Jokic to come out, and even his brothers infamously took part in a bit of a Twitter beef.
However, when asked about the incident, Jimmy Butler claims it’s all water under the bridge, adding that his beef wasn’t with Jokic.
“I wasn’t talking to Jokic. That wasn’t my beef.”
Jimmy sets the record straight on the Heat-Nuggets altercation in 2021 pic.twitter.com/LEqK6ckZbd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 31, 2023
Butler was spotted on camera taunting a Nuggets player and telling him to meet him in the back, so he was definitely ready to fight someone.
Morris spent plenty of time on the sidelines and took several shots at Jokic on Twitter, but it seems to be a thing of the past now.
The Nuggets haven’t been known for being an utterly physical or trash-talking team, and while the Heat have taken pride in their grit, grind, and pesky defense, they haven’t been tangled up in that many altercations in the recent past.
This NBA Finals series might not be what Adam Silver or TV stations dreamed of by any means, but both teams play beautiful team basketball, and it might be way closer than what most people, fans, and analysts have said thus far.
Hopefully, with no more incidents.
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