Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, one of the five players suspended for a fight that broke out during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, jokingly said on Instagram that the ban is similar to a prison sentence.
The NBA announced on Sunday that Butler, his teammate Nikola Jovic and Pelicans forward Naji Marshall have been suspended for one game without pay for instigating and participating in an “on-court brawl” in New Orleans on Friday. Heat centre Thomas Bryant and Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado were suspended for three games.
Butler reacted to the news of the ban a few hours after it was announced.
“It was all Nikola Jovic’s fault,” he wrote in an Instagram post showing the two teammates posing on a modified poster from the Bad Boys franchise.
Butler identified the location of the post as the Miami-Dade County Jail. He also posted screenshots of music he was listening to, including Akon’s “Locked Up” and Kanye West’s “Jail”, on his Instagram story.
The 34-year-old Butler is averaging 21.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this season. The six-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive Team member has appeared in 38 games this season.
The Fever (31-25) will be without their star forward when they take on the Sacramento Kings (33-23) in Sacramento on Monday at 22:00 (our time).
“I want to go out there and compete with my guys, as does Nico, as does T.B.,” Butler told reporters Sunday, when asked about his teammate beating the Kings.
“I think we have enough to get it done. It might be a little bit more difficult, but I know that these guys can do it.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said on Sunday that he believes the NBA did the wrong thing by banning Butler for one game.
“It felt like Jimmy shouldn’t have gotten a game on that,” Spoelstra said. “It was really just kind of tangling and a little pushing. I don’t think that deserves another game, because he ended up missing the fourth quarter. But it is what it is.”