Butler on All-NBA 3rd team

He becomes 6th Miami player to be named all-league

Jimmy Butler on Wednesday became the sixth player in the Miami Heat’s 32 seasons named to an All-NBA team.

Butler became the first Heat player to earn an AllNBA designation since LeBron James was selected to the first team in 2014, and joins Dwyane Wade as the only Heat players selected third-team AllNBA.

The Heat’s previous AllNBA selections were Tim Hardaway (first team 1997; second team 1998, ’99), Alonzo Mourning (first team 1999; second team 2000), Shaquille O’Neal (first team 2005, ’06), James (first team 2011, ’12, ’13, ’14) and Wade (first team 2009, ’10; second team 2005, ’06, ’11; third team 2007, ’12, ’13).

It is Butler’s third AllNBA selection. He was named to the third team in 2017 while with the Chicago Bulls and third team in 2018 while with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The media balloting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11, when the league shut down due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Games played during the NBA’s Disney World resumption were not factored into the process, nor were the playoffs.

Butler finished with the second-highest vote total among players named third-team All-NBA, behind only current Eastern Conference finals opponent Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.

The only Heat player to receive votes beyond Butler was Bam Adebayo, who finished fifth among centers.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Los Angeles Lakers’ James were unanimous first-team selections, joined on that unit by Houston Rockets guard James Harden, Lakers forward-center Anthony Davis and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.

Voted second team were Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Portland

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.

Joining Butler on the third team were Tatum, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons and Rockets guard Russell Westbrook. Butler finished sixth in the voting among forwards.

Besides the three centers named All-NBA, Adebayo finished behind the 76ers’ Joel Embiid in the voting for centers.

Butler recorded three triple-doubles this season, was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games of Dec. 2-8 and recorded at least 100 steals for the seventh consecutive season.