The Miami Heat are headed back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2020 when the team battled through the NBA bubble to reach the Finals but ultimately fell short to superstar LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
This will be the second time the Heat are led by star forward Jimmy Butler, who continues to cement his legacy as one of the better playoff performers over the past few years.
With the Heat headed to the Mile High City to face the Denver Nuggets in the Finals, Butler made sure to give some credit to former Miami superstar Dwyane Wade for convincing him to come to the Heat and embrace the culture of this storied NBA franchise via NBA Central.
“I’ve gotta give a shout-out to D-Wade. He always told me about this culture and how I fit here.”
– Jimmy Butler
(Via @WillManso ) pic.twitter.com/KGBkBbnYWC
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 31, 2023
Wade famously won three NBA titles during his time with the Heat, as he won one early in his career alongside Shaquille O’Neal and won back-to-back titles while sharing the floor with James and Chris Bosh.
With five NBA Finals appearances to his credit, Wade knew what it took to win and be successful in this league and clearly felt the culture established by Pat Riley played a significant part in what the franchise has been able to accomplish.
This time around, Butler and company will have their work cut out for them once again, with the Nuggets dominating the competition in the Western Conference leading to an impressive run in the NBA playoffs up to this point.
The Nuggets will be the favorites in the Finals, putting Butler and his squad in the underdog position yet again where the team seems to thrive.
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