AS the Miami Heat eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series, the former’s Jimmy Butler sought out the latter’s Joel Embiid.
It was a poignant scene for the former Philadelphia teammates.
Butler was a teammate of Embiid for the 2018-19 season—just one year—after which the Sixers felt they had to choose to keep either Ben Simmons or Butler.
Simmons was pilloried after his poor performance in last year’s play-offs and his reluctance to suit up for the discordant Brooklyn Nets while Butler has led the Heat to the NBA Finals and now, their second Eastern Finals berth.
It is pretty obvious which team came out on top and that left me with a sarcastic remark, “the Butler did it” in reference to the popular who-done-it mystery game.
Incredibly, it was Butler’s trade to Minnesota why I abandoned my 31-year support of the Chicago Bulls. Aside from being a magnificent two-way player, he was at that time the only third Chicago Bulls player to win an Olympic Gold Medal with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen the other two. Of course, Zach Lavin joined them as well this 2021 with a gold at the Tokyo Summer Games.
Trading away Butler was the last straw for a team that prematurely broke up their 1990s dynasty, then dismantled what could have been a very good post-Michael Jordan team when they had Elton Brand, Ron Artest, Ron Mercer, Brad Miller, Fred Hoiberg, and Jamal Crawford. They also put the early kibosh on another darn good team that featured Derrick Rose, Tyson Chandler, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni, Chris Duhon, and Jannero Pargo.
There’s more but I cannot keep resurrecting old sins while flagellating myself when it should be Bulls management who we should be whipping.
While the trade of Butler brought Zach Levine to Chicago has been good for both players, I had enough of that seemingly lack of vision and patience of the Bulls’ front office.
I gave my allegiance to my boyhood team, Philadelphia, but also found myself rooting for the Bulls this year.
If you are wondering why I switched from Philly to the Windy City, that is because the Sixers tried to trade Julius Erving after they traded away Moses Malone.
The Sixers were my favorite as I began watching them when Doc played alongside World B. Free, Doug Collins, Darryl Dawkins, Mike Dunleavy, Caldwell Jones, George McGinnis, Steve Mix, and Jellybean Bryant. The heartbreak of the finals loss to Portland in 1977, the 1980 finals to the Los Angeles Lakers, the 1981 Eastern finals to Boston, and the 1982 finals to the Lakers was something I could carry but not the trade of Malone in 1985.
Cut back to today as I also followed the Miami Heat who have a very good if not underrated squad with Butler, Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo, PJ Tucker, Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, and Victor Oladipo. That’s seven players averaging double digit scoring. That is the best in the NBA.
Plus, they have their old warhorse in Udonis Haslem who, aside from head coach Erik Spoelstra, is the last link of their old title teams.
Haslem, who went undrafted in 2002, is now on his 19th year with his one and only NBA team. He is along with Dwyane Wade, the only two Heat players to have been a part of all the team’s three title winning teams.
Furthermore, if he is signed once more, he has a chance to tie the late Kobe Bryant to be with one and only team in the NBA for 20 seasons. Dirk Nowitski owns the record of 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.
As for the Heat, they will play either the Boston Celtics or the Milwaukee Bucks for the right to go to the NBA Finals.
As much as I liked the Bulls’ resurgence this year, I didn’t think they’d go really far without a real center and all the injuries and Covid-19 infections that derailed the strong start. It was the Heat, the Bucks, and the Celtics who I penciled in at the start of the season, to contend for a championship.
And I’d love for the Heat to win a title. I really do. For Coach Spo, Lowry, Adebayo, Herro, and of course, the man they call “Jimmy Buckets.”
Yet, I also hope the Sixers find it in themselves to build a really good team and not waste the years of one of the best big men in the game with Embiid. I’d hate to switch loyalties again.