Butler offers color, candor with Rapinoe and Bird on Instagram
WNBA star Sue Bird,
Jimmy Butler long has been known for zigging while others zag.
So who isn’t watching “The Last Dance,” the Michael Jordan documentary that has the idle NBA abuzz?
That would be the Heat’s All-Star forward.
“I haven’t seen this MJ doc,” Butler told U.S. Women’s National Team soccer star Megan Rapinoe and WNBA star Sue Bird on their Instagram Live program, “A Touch More.”
“I’m just like, ‘Everybody’s watching. I’m going to go out and work on my true calling.’ That’s kicking the soccer ball.”
Butler has been sequestering in San Diego amid the NBA shutdown due to the new coronavirus pandemic.
That gave him the honor this weekend of being the first male guest on the Rapinoe-Bird show, with Butler joining in remotely.
“I’m the first fella, for real?” Butler said when informed.
As with many of his interviews this season, Butler stressed finding the perfect landing spot with the Heat, this time while joking about the transition from the rival Chicago Bulls.
That had Butler joking about the mantra of former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and what it was
Miami like embracing Dwyane Wade as a teammate for a season in Chicago, as well as developing an enduring friendship with the former Heat guard.
“In Chicago,” Butler said, “like Thibs bred us to hate Miami and every player that ever played for them, like crazy. Now [Wade] is like one of my best friends.
“I play for Miami [and] I’m happy. I’ve just bonded with a lot of my teammates on all former teams, but this one, this organization, is special.”
Butler said the Heat’s intensity of purpose matches his own.
“They’re crazy down there,” he said. “There isn’t a better place to be. for me. Miami’s it.
“We’ve got the right young guys [and] we’ve got the right vets.”
The Heat stood 41-24 at the time of the NBA’s March 11 shutdown and were the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has yet to offer a timetable for a potential return, although Heat players could be cleared to return for individual workouts at AmericanAirlines Arena as soon as Friday.
Butler said his teammates bought into his passion and are eager for more this season.
“They get it,” he said, “and they’re thirsty to get back to hooping.”
Butler touched on
avariety of colorful subjects with several colorfully worded responses during his interview with Bird and Rapinoe before moving on to more general topics.
Of teammates struggling to put together the baskets he shipped out amid the current sheltering in place, he said: “I put mine together.”
Of a possible return to the Olympics, where he was listed as a finalist for the since-postponed 2020 Tokyo Games, Butler said he would be particularly enticed if Carmelo Anthony were invited to participate.
“If Melo plays,” he said, “I play.” Along the way, Butler managed to toss shade toward former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Karl-Anthony Towns and his former Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown.
Butler also reflected on comments he made on the podcast of New Orleans Pelicans guard JJ Redick in March about being offended when a white player is assigned as his defender.
Bird laughed and agreed, with Butler citing a recent conversation with Heat rookie guard Tyler Herro.
“What’s funny,” Butler said, “is I was talking to Tyler the other day. He said the same thing.
“He saw the quote and, ‘Bro, I feel the same way.’ And I was like, ‘Tyler, shut up.’ ”
Grigori Denisenko celebrates after scoring a goal as Mikey Anderson (26) of the United States skates past the net in the semifinals of the IIHF World Junior Championship on Jan. 4, 2019, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
Status check: English’s powerful play will not go unrewarded the season.
The news English wanted — but wasn’t guaranteed — came last week when the PGA Tour decided that no one would lose their card in a virus-shortened season. Players would have the same status as when they started the season, unless they improved their priority ranking.
“There was definitely some relief,” English said Tuesday. “I guess they could have kept it the same. But to bump up my status, that’s cool. It’s how it should be. I shouldn’t be penalized for a whole other year for being 126th to 150th . ... I’ve pretty much got my card locked up.”
Now he can’t wait again.
English lives and plays out of Sea Island, where there is no shortage of strong competition from the number of PGA Tour players in the neighborhood. One such occasion was at Federica Golf Club, where a dozen tour players each ponied up $100. English shot 67 and cleaned up.
“I’ve taken a little bit of a break,” English said. “But I’ve used this time to keep it going, to get better, to add to what I’ve already done. I want to get to where I’m rested and ready to go as if I’ve been playing.”
The sure solution to just about any problem in golf always is to play better.
Harris English wondered that would be enough.
If going six years without a win wasn’t difficult enough, English failed to keep his full card after seven seasons on the PGA Tour. He had conditional status at No. 149 in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning the 30-year-old from Georgia could only play in tournaments that had room.
And he played better. English finished no worse than a tie for sixth in four tournaments in the fall and had another top 10 at Bay Hill. He already was at No. 24 in the FedEx Cup, enough to get into The Players Championship. He opened with a 65, two off the lead.
That was the final round before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down The Players, along with the next four tournaments.
And then the Masters was postponed.
And then four more PGA Tour events were canceled. And there was speculation — there still is in some corners — whether any golf would be played the rest of if to play