Jimmy Butler has discussed his altercation with Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, after footage of the clash emerged ahead of the NBA Finals.
Back in 2021, Butler was seen furiously confronting Jokic during a heated clash between the Miami Heat and the Nuggets. The confrontation began after the Nuggets star had clashed with Butler's teammate Markieff Morris, which saw Morris suffer a season-ending injury as a result.
The Nuggets and the Heat will reignite their rivalry for basketball's biggest prize this month, and with the Finals taking place this week, footage of the two-year-old clash has resurfaced across social media.
In the clip Jokic is seen taking a seat on the Nuggets bench whilst butler Furiously looks to barge his way over on the back of the altercation with Morris. Ahead of their reunion in this week's Finals, the Heat star has given his side to the story.
Back in 2021 tensions were high, but two years on Butler has played down the chances of a repeat clash. Asked if he was wary of his and Jokic's emotions spilling over in the finals, the 33-year-old Olympic gold medalist responded: "I don't think so."
Claiming there is more to the altercation that meets the eye, he added: "I think there is a lot of stuff about that whole situation that people do not understand, and I will let that stay back there. I don't think it has too much to do with anything.
"It is a thing of the past, this is a high level competition." Two years on Butler then went on to claim he was not in fact aiming his anger at Jokic as tempers flared. "But I will say I wasn't talking to Jokic, that wasn't my beef," the Heat star added.
Pointing towards the media in the press conference he went on: "Make sure you write that, the individual I was talking to definitely knows who I was talking to." Jokic will no doubt play a huge role for in the Finals, having proved to be key to the Nuggets' success so far this season.
Asked how he and his teammates plan to stop the Serbian star, Butler commented: "Guarding him as a team with all five guys. He does everything so well, and we're going to have to be in the gaps, we're going to have to gang rebound. We can't have defensive lapses. We're just going to have to get after it. I think at the end of the day, he's a major key and we're going to have to lock in.
