Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler has played himself into history… already top 10

The Miami Heat are only down one game in the NBA Finals because of Jimmy Butler’s guts. Those guts have helped him climb the ranks of history, already.

The Miami Heat are back! After going down 0-2 in the NBA Finals, the world had all but written them off.

Jimmy Butler had other plans. They included a 40 point triple-double performance that included 13 assists and 11 rebounds as well.

What does this all mean though? Well, immediately, the Miami Heat are once again live dogs and ones with a chance to win the series.

That isn’t our question here though. What does this year for Jimmy, his first in Miami, along with Sunday night’s gutty performance mean from an overarching view?

Well, it’s quite monumental and I will tell you. Hold on to your socks though, it might just blow your mind.

Before coming into Sunday night’s game, considering all that he has done for us, and in just his first year, Jimmy Butler was already a top-10 player in Miami Heat history. With any list of the sort, you save room for around two or three, meaning anybody arguably 10, 11, or 12, can be called “top 10”, as they are likely interchangeable based on relativity, the arguments made, and who’s arguing it.

Jimmy Butler solidified his space in Miami Heat history and lore with Sunday’s performance. Where exactly does he fit in though?

After Sunday night’s game though, Jimmy has solidified himself an exclusive spot in the Miami Heat’s all-time rankings. At this very moment, Jimmy Butler is no less than the seventh greatest player to ever play for the Miami Heat.

Above him, you only have the Big 3 of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh, Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, and Tim Hardaway. There are those, such as our very own Rich Nurse and myself, that believe that he has already put himself above Tim Hardaway with Sunday night’s gutty performance.

However, with Hardaway’s greatness, there is still a case to be made. Again though, there is a strong case to be made for Jimmy being above him already.

Let me tell you all this though. If Jimmy Butler can somehow manage to lead this team all the way back to a title in this season and these NBA Finals, he enters Top 5 territory.

Yep. I said it.

If Jimmy Butler can manage to drag this team all the way to the title against these Los Angeles Lakers, against arguably the second greatest players of all time, Pat Riley‘s arch-nemesis, and in collaboration with his all-world teammate in Anthony Davis, he leapfrogs Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway into the Top 5 rankings for the Miami Heat all time.

I don’t think Tim or Zo would argue that. That’s real.

They are and were rough riders in their own rights, so not only do they likely respect, love, and admire what Jimmy is doing for the Miami Heat right now, but they know how hard it is. Now compound all of that with the fact that he did what he did on Sunday with two of his other top three guns out of the lineup.

That’s the stuff that legends are made of.

So, if Jimmy Butler somehow manages to win this title, the Heat list of legends goes Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Shaq, Jimmy Butler, and in that order. Already though, he has managed to catapult himself into the top 7.

That’s one heck of an imprint for one season, but did we expect anything less? I can’t wait to see what Wednesday brings and hopefully it comes along with some good Bam Adebayo news.