Butler wants to follow footsteps of Wade, James

So much of this season for Jimmy Butler has been about the passing of a torch and an embrace of Miami Heat culture.

For the past 12 months, it had been about moving into the space that Dwyane Wade vacated with his 2019 retirement. For these next two weeks, it sets up as an opportunity to fill the championship mantle that LeBron James abdicated with his 2014 move from the Heat back to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tuesday, during media day at the NBA Finals, Butler spoke on the eve of Wednesday’s 9 p.m. opener against James and the Los Angeles Lakers of how just about everything in this first season with the Heat has felt like right team at the right time.

“I’m so comfortable with being myself more than I’ve ever been,” he said.

“These guys love me, love who I am, and it’s reciprocated towards those guys.”

It hasn’t always been that way for Butler, after tumultuous tours with the Bulls, Timberwolves and 76ers. But just as James found his NBA footing when he left the Cavaliers to join the Heat in 2010 free agency, winning titles in 2012 and ’13, Butler said he now feels a sense of championshiplevel direction.

For that, just as James did later during Tuesday’s interview sessions, he credited Heat president Pat Riley.

“Everything that I’ve heard, obviously, from D-Wade and just around the league, it’s everything I wanted to be a part of,” Butler said. “He’s the individual outside of basketball that everybody has said that he was, and definitely about winning and winning now. He’s definitely about that.

“He’s been a huge part in our success of putting this team together, expecting greatness out of each and every one of us, and putting us in a position to be great. So without him, without him putting this thing together, I wouldn’t be up here. We wouldn’t have this great group of guys that we have. So, we’re all very thankful for the Godfather.”