In just three weeks, the Miami Heat will kick off their 2024-25 NBA campaign against the Orlando Magic at the Kaseya Center. However, despite the excitement surrounding the new season, some of Jimmy Butler’s teammates are unhappy with decisions that will affect the team’s visibility throughout the year.
Jaime Jaquez Jr., a promising young talent, expressed his dissatisfaction with the limited number of nationally televised games scheduled for the Heat during the regular season: “That’s what the NBA thinks of us. And that’s OK, because I guarantee you that they’re going to still be talking about us when the season goes on and we play our season”.
The discontent likely stems from a stark contrast compared to last year. The Heat had 16 nationally televised games across ESPN, ABC and TNT in the previous season. This year, however, they will only have seven.
Despite this, Jaquez Jr. remains confident that the team’s performance will force the spotlight on them: “I think the media is still going to find a way to talk about us and what we’re doing and we’re going to definitely make some noise. They’re going to have no choice but to mention our names.”
Jaime Jaquez Jr., #11 of the Miami Heat, playing his first season with the team.
Heat won’t let this affect them
In addition to the 23-year-old small forward, Duncan Robinson also weighed in on the low expectations for the team this season: “I feel like that’s really a place of comfort for us… We’ve been there plenty of times and we kind of know how to move forward from it. And we know what button to push and how to maximize opportunities when we’re in these sort of places.”
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NBA News: Jimmy Butler makes something clear to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra
Jimmy Butler’s championship-driven focus
As for Butler, the team’s leader remains unphased by external opinions. During media day, he made his mission for the season clear: “I know what the city deserves, what the city wants and that’s a championship. We are fueled enough to go and get that trophy at the end.”
