NBA FINALS: LAKERS VS. HEAT

October 8, 2020

Jimmy Butler

Miami Heat

Practice Day

Q. You're obviously on a deep playoff run in the Finals in the bubble and you've been in a couple of deep playoff runs outside of the bubble earlier in your career in Philly and in Chicago. What have been the biggest differences to you between being in it this long in this environment versus kind of in a normal environment, kind of what it does physically or mentally?

JIMMY BUTLER: I mean, obviously you're away from your family. For me I'm away from my guys a lot, a lot of people that I spend a lot of time with. But at the same time, I get to be around a great group of guys, great coaching staff. We have fun.

Basketball is always basketball. It's competing. We know what you're going to get.

Then I think it's just really hard. As Spo always says, it's going to be the hardest thing you ever have to do. I believe him. I've seen that, I've felt that now. But I wouldn't change it. I like where we're at, man. I smile because it's true. I like where we're at.

Q. I don't know if you heard Spo or not, but he came in and he was pretty fired up about how it's the first to four. That's what it is, nothing else matters. You're smiling and saying you like where you're at. Where does the confidence from this group come from? It's not common for a first-year group to face elimination for the first time and have this going like you guys do.

JIMMY BUTLER: Man, we know what we do every day. I mean, we just love to compete with one another. We realize that there's a chance that it won't look the same next year, but we're in it for the right now. We're going to give everything that we have for one another.

And like I said, we go back and we're looking at stuff and we're correcting stuff, and we're like, damn, we see it on film. We've just got to be able to see these things in the game.

So you know, everybody is looking forward to it. Everybody is ready to compete, ready to get one.

Q. You guys have been here for months. I'm curious, you as a group seem to really embraced this opportunity, being here, playing in the bubble. I guess if you could take a step back, has it been harder than you thought it would be? You mentioned being away from the people you care about; has it been about what you expected mentally?

JIMMY BUTLER: I mean, for me, no, not really. Yeah, I miss my people, don't ever get me wrong about that. But I think this is just part of the -- this is what you signed up for. This is the job, to go out there and try and win a championship, no matter where it's at, here in a bubble in Orlando. I think this is just a step in the process of getting where we want to get to.

But like I say, we're all in it, we're all here, mentally, physically. We're all wanting to get this thing done. We all believe that we can get this thing done. Ain't nobody going home yet. We're still here.

Q. Jimmy, do you enjoy this kind of pressure considering that it's win or go home?

JIMMY BUTLER: I don't think it's pressure. I think it's just win. Ain't nobody thinking about going home over here. It's just win, so there is no pressure. We're expected to win. That's our job. It's not win or go home, it's win or win. That's how we think about it.

Q. You're back to playing 45 minutes in the past two games. How does your body feel after Game 4 versus every other day?

JIMMY BUTLER: One and the same. You know, a little bit tired. I'm not 25 like I was a long time ago. But I'm okay. I'm okay. It's whatever it takes, whatever it takes to win. I'll play however many minutes, I'll be however tired. But I've got to win. I've got to know me putting my body through all of this, my guys putting their bodies through all of this, it's for something. Being here for 90 however many days, it was for something. Being here for the next six, until the 13th, I think that's Game 7 maybe, it was for something. Because if it wasn't, I'm going to be really pissed off at the end of this thing.

Q. There was a moment in the last game where I think you saw Rondo talking, you started smiling and just kind of watching him. Can you take us into what it was that was happening there and just what made you smile?

JIMMY BUTLER: I really don't remember. I don't. Rondo is always saying something to me during the game. I've got a lot of respect for the guy, a lot of love for the guy, him and his family. Obviously he played with me in Chicago, so there's always some jawing going back and forth. We're going to get the best of Rondo and the Lakers. We have no choice. We can't lose. We've got to win three straight. I'm sure there will be a lot more jawing back and forth and a lot more smiling between us, too.

Q. Speaking of the right now, like you said, in your opinion what more do you think is needed from yourself to help your team possibly extend the series?

JIMMY BUTLER: A lot more. A lot more. Not just scoring points. I've got to rebound the basketball better. I have to get my guys involved in a numerous amount of ways, and then I've got to really lock down on the defensive end. I've got to be able to guard everybody. I've got to be in the paint and be able to close out in the perimeter. I've got to be able to do a lot more. I've got to be able to set the tone from the jump, play with the most energy I've ever played with for these next three games, and win. That's what I've got to do: Win.

Q. What will be the keys to winning Game 5?

JIMMY BUTLER: Scoring more points than the Lakers. (Smiling).

Q. This season you have been physically further from your fans than ever. What lesson does this experience leave you regarding fan support?

JIMMY BUTLER: That we do miss and love our fans. Damn sure the ones in Miami. I wish they were here to witness this, hopefully witness a comeback down 3-1, but hopefully we get to return and play in front of all the fans around the world pretty soon.

Q. The Lakers put Anthony Davis on you in the last game. What is the difference between being guarded by him or by LeBron James, like what happened in the first games?

JIMMY BUTLER: Man, it's basically one and the same. They're both seven feet or damn near seven feet. They move their feet incredibly well, super athletic, and are very smart on both ends of the floor. I've just got to be better at attacking and be better at getting my guys involved. I mean, I'm not backing down from any one of those guys. Whatever I do decide to do, it's just got to end up in a win at the end of the day.