Sports

Heat begin a new chapter: Life without Jimmy Butler, who is suspended and seeking a trade

Published

11 months ago

January 5, 2025

Austin Reed

MIAMI (AP) — For the 119th time since Jimmy Butler joined Miami, the Heat played a game without him.

This was different from the others.

And it went very — very — badly for Miami.

Butler is gone, banished by the Heat for seven games over what they called conduct detrimental to the team — and he’s probably not going to play for Miami again. His suspension started Saturday night when the Heat played the Utah Jazz, and the team says it will agree to his wishes and try to facilitate a trade.

Game 1 of the Butler suspension was a disaster: The Jazz, who entered with a 7-25 record, took a 43-point lead and wound up winning 136-100. They outrebounded Miami 57-32, and it didn’t seem that close.

“It’s disappointing when you see the organization and a player going head-to-head like that,” Heat captain Bam Adebayo said Saturday after the team’s shootaround practice. “But the rest of us got to figure out how to win games.”

They did not have it figured out Saturday. Not even close.

They hadn’t lost a game by more than 19 all season. They lost this game by 36, the sixth-biggest home loss in franchise history.

“I don’t think we make any excuses for this,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We just took it on the chin and we have to get to work.”

Butler has not commented publicly on the suspension. The National Basketball Players Association spoke out on Butler’s behalf hours after the Heat announced the suspension on Friday, saying it believes the team’s actions are “excessive and inappropriate.” The suspension could cost Butler about $2.4 million of his $48.8 million salary this season.

“It’s none of our business,” Adebayo said. “It’s for Jimmy and for the management to handle.”

How it gets handled from here, and on what timeframe, is anyone’s guess.

There was a new starting lineup with Butler gone: Miami opened the game with Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Haywood Highsmith, Nikola Jovic and Adebayo. Butler’s locker is still the way he left it, shower shoes leaning against the drawer under the seat, a few items hanging on hooks and a few things taped to the wall. It will be cleaned out at some point, but he’s still part of the team.

For now, anyway.

“We’re just going to focus on tonight,” Spoelstra said before the game. “I want to quiet all the distractions. Enough has been said. We have clarity. We’re just going to focus on this group in the locker room. That’s what I want them to focus on and quiet the noise as much as possible. I’m not a clickbait type of coach, so you’re not going to get anything else really from me. We have a task to do.”

Utah will see Miami twice during Butler’s suspension; the Heat play in Salt Lake City on Thursday. Jazz coach Will Hardy knows being without Butler won’t change Spoelstra’s approach.

“They have a consistency in their program from a competitive standpoint that you know that it doesn’t matter who plays,” Hardy said. “You come here, you play Miami in your building, it’s going to be 48 minutes of highly competitive, physical basketball. Spo has shown that the entire time he’s been in Miami.”

Trading Butler will be a challenge in these NBA times, with the rules of the collective bargaining agreement limiting the ways teams can acquire players. It’s possible, but it’s far from certain. And the Heat simply letting Butler leave as a free agent this summer also remains a possibility — a move that would open up some other avenues for Miami to acquire new players before next season.

“It sucks to see that he won’t be around,” Rozier said.

Butler averaged 21.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 380 games with the Heat, including playoffs. Entering Saturday, since Butler joined the Heat, they won 59.7% of their games when he played (227-153); they won 49.2% of their games when he didn’t (58-60).

He became eligible last summer for a two-year, $113 million extension. The deal was never offered by the Heat, in part because Butler has missed about one-quarter of the team’s games during his Miami tenure.

It was only natural that such a big sum of money not being offered was going to lead to problems. And the tension boiled over this week. Butler didn’t play in the fourth quarters of Miami games on Wednesday and Thursday; he spent some offensive possessions simply standing in the corner, almost as if he had no role.

“I feel like he came to work, he tried to perform, and it just didn’t go his way,” Adebayo said. “I feel like he didn’t want to be in the corner. But like I said, we developed a system where we play around everybody, and we just had to figure out how to incorporate him. But after what happened yesterday, we’re focused on who’s with us now.”

After the second of those games earlier in the week, Butler said “probably not” when asked if he thought he could find on-court joy again in Miami.

Saying those two words may have been his last official act as a member of the Heat. A week or so ago, Miami had no interest in trading Butler. Hearing him say that he doesn’t want to be on the team anymore evidently changed things.

“It’s hard to not see him around,” Jovic said.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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Jay-Jay Okocha Names Coach Who Had the Biggest Influence on His Career

Published

2 hours ago

December 5, 2025

Austin Reed

Paris Saint-Germain legend Jay-Jay Okocha has rankked Serbian coach Dragoslav Stepanovic as the manager with the most significant impact on his career.

Okocha credited Stepanovic for guiding him during his formative years at Eintracht Frankfurt which shaped him in becom of the most skillful players during his active career.

Okocha joined Frankfurt from Borussia Neunkirchen in December 1991, a move that marked the beginning of his rise in European football.

He spent four years at the club, four defining seasons that helped shape his playing style and future success.

Those early years in the Bundesliga showcased Okocha’s incredible talent, as he quickly built a reputation for his mesmerizing footwork, flair, and creativity.

One of his most iconic moments in Germany remains his unforgettable solo goal against Karlsruher SC, where he famously dribbled past multiple defenders, including goalkeeper Oliver Kahn before slotting the ball into the net.

The goal is still regarded as one of the greatest in German Bundesliga history.

Despite his strong start in Germany, Okocha’s time at Frankfurt came to an unexpected end. In 1995, he fell out of favour under new coach Jupp Heynckes, but he has explained why Stepanovic stood out above all other coaches in his career.

“The coach who influenced me the most was my first manager at Eintracht Frankfurt, Dragoslav Stepanovic,” Okocha told R.org.

“It was short, but he influenced me the most throughout my career. Stepanovic is the type of coach every young player deserves to encounter.”

Okocha credited the Serbian coach for giving him both confidence and freedom, qualities that helped him fully express his unique style of play.

“I did not just feel at home at Frankfurt,” he added. “His guidance pushed me to bring the best out of myself.”

After Frankfurt were relegated to the German second division, Okocha moved to Fenerbahce in 1996.

His transfer to Turkey marked the beginning of another electrifying chapter, where his performances attracted international attention and eventually paved the way for his high-profile move to Paris Saint-Germain in 1998.

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Sports

Conference Championship Weekend is here

Published

10 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Austin Reed

college championship weekend The 2025 college football season kicks off with one of the most electrifying Week 1 slates in recent memory. With playoff contenders

Conference Championship weekend is here and it is the most decisive weekend has arrived, as the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12 Championships take center stage. Four conference championships titles will be contested, each carrying massive implications for the College Football Playoff.

MUST READS – Sports Talk Florida and Sports Talk NY Fans

Alabama and Georgia clash in Atlanta for SEC supremacy, Ohio State battles Indiana in Indianapolis for the Big Ten crown, Duke faces Virginia in Charlotte for the ACC title, and Texas Tech meets BYU in Arlington for the Big 12 championship. With playoff spots hanging in the balance, every snap this weekend will shape the national picture and determine which programs advance to the sport’s ultimate stage.

SEC Title Game

The 2025 SEC Championship Game features the Alabama Crimson Tide (10-2) against the Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Kickoff is set for Saturday, December 6 at 4:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. CT).

National Broadcast: ABC, ESPN+ streaming
Local Coverage: WSB-TV Channel 2 Atlanta, regional ESPN Radio affiliates

Alabama enters with momentum after a dramatic Iron Bowl win, while Georgia seeks revenge for its September loss to the Tide. The winner secures the SEC’s automatic bid to the College Football Playoff.

Big Ten Championship: Ohio State vs Indiana

For the first time, both teams enter undefeated (12-0). The Big Ten Championship Game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, December 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

National Broadcast: FOX, streaming via FOX Sports app
Local Coverage: Big Ten Network pregame, regional FOX affiliates in Ohio and Indiana

Ohio State’s elite defense faces Indiana’s high-powered offense led by QB Fernando Mendoza. The winner likely claims the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

ACC Championship: Duke vs Virginia

The ACC Conference Championship Game pits Virginia (10-2) against Duke (7-5) at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Kickoff is Saturday, December 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

National Broadcast: ABC, ESPN Radio
Local Coverage: Virginia Sports Radio Network, regional ABC affiliates in North Carolina and Virginia

Virginia dominated Duke earlier this season, but the Blue Devils, led by QB Darian Mensah, seek redemption. A Cavaliers win likely secures a College Football Playoff berth.

Big 12 Championship: Texas Tech vs BYU

The Big 12 Championship Game features Texas Tech (11-1) against BYU (11-1) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is Saturday, December 6 at 12:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. CT).

National Broadcast: ABC, streaming via ESPN app
Local Coverage: KSL-TV Utah, regional ABC affiliates in Texas

Texas Tech seeks to confirm its playoff spot, while BYU must win to secure the Big 12’s automatic bid. This rematch follows the Red Raiders’ November victory over the Cougars.

Bottom Line

Championship Weekend delivers four marquee matchups across the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12. With College Football Playoff bids on the line, fans nationwide can tune in via ABC, FOX, ESPN Radio, and regional affiliates to watch history unfold.

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Sports

India wants an Olympics

Published

15 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Austin Reed

Indian Olympic Association wants the 2036 Summer Olympics.

The IOC has a problem with tensions between India and Pakistan.

India wants to host the 2036 Summer Olympics and Paralympics events but there is a significant problem. India and Pakistan hostilities resurfaced following a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in late April. India blamed Pakistan for supporting the militants while Pakistan said don’t blame us. India’s government is planning to send a high-level delegation to the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland beginning on June 30^th. India wants to continue talks with IOC officials in an effort to host the 2036 Games. GEO News has reported Pakistan is planning to challenge India’s bid to host the Olympics by formally objecting to the IOC, claiming that India has politicized international sporting events. The Indian Olympic Association has officially submitted a Letter of Intent to the IOC. India plans to spend around $7.5 billion on the Games if the country lands the event. India has never bid for the Olympics event. They have the largest population of any country in the world with an estimated 1.4 billion people. It is a market that the IOC probably wants to enter.

The IOC probably will not award the 2036 Games for a few years. India is just one of a number of countries that could bid for the 2036 Games. The IOC no longer wants areas to bid against one another for its crown jewel events, the Summer and Winter Olympics, with the thought that the losing bidders would be upset. The truth is many areas don’t want to put up billions in whatever currency for a money losing event. The IOC has watched bids evaporate in the United States, Europe and in Japan. There are a number of countries that might be bidding for the 2036 Summer Games and that group includes Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Germany, South Korea, Hungary and Qatar. The race for the 2036 Games has begun.

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Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com