Jimmy Butler will miss Miami’s second Pay-In Tournament game against the Bulls on Friday, but his sense of humor seems to be still intact.
After a hard fall in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game against Philadelphia, Butler immediately clutched his knee in visible pain. He stayed in the game, but he was clearly hobbled, grimacing and grabbing his knee multiple times down the stretch.
The Heat ultimately blew a 14-point lead, forcing them into a winner-take-all showdown against the No. 9 Bulls for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. However, they’ll have to do so without their star, who was ruled out of Friday’s game because of an MCL sprain.
While Butler is undoubtedly disappointed he won’t be able to help his team extend its season, he took to Instagram on Thursday to seemingly (emphasis on “seemingly”) have some fun, tagging Kelly Oubre Jr. in the comments of a post about his injury. Here’s what he said.
MORE: Jimmy Butler to miss ‘multiple weeks’ with knee injury
What did Jimmy Butler say to Kelly Oubre Jr. on Instagram?
Butler commented “@kellyoubrejr we throwing hands” in response to a post about the Heat ruling him out with a right MCL sprain.
Jimmy Butler. 👀😂 pic.twitter.com/cqb9lP4S7k
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 18, 2024
There’s no telling whether it’s a playful comment or a serious jab at Oubre. Typically, emojis would help decipher a comment like this, but Butler did not use any.
He may have a real gripe with the 76ers forward after his injury, but that’s most likely not the case. Oubre’s foul on Butler wasn’t the result of a dirty play, and the Heat star would likely have jawed with Oubre mid-game if he took exception. This certainly seems like a case of Butler showcasing his dry sense of humor.
SN’s NBA AWARDS: All-NBA Team | All-Defense Team | Player of the Year
Jimmy Butler-Kelly Oubre Jr. ‘beef,’ explained
Oubre fell on Butler’s leg during the 76ers-Heat Play-In Tournament game. The 76ers forward bit on Butler’s pump fake and landed awkwardly on the Heat star at the end of the first quarter.
Butler tagged Oubre because of his involvement in the play, but as mentioned, Butler’s intentions behind the comment are unknown.
Jimmy Butler fell hard and appeared to be in so much pain as he grabbed his knee😳
Hope nothing is serious 🙏🏾pic.twitter.com/vkZjsSczf3
— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) April 17, 2024
It wasn’t a malicious play and resulted in just a common foul, but it had lasting implications considering Butler is out for “multiple weeks” with a knee injury.
Read the full article here
