Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is not with his teammates on Sunday for what the franchise is terming as an excused absence.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel shared that head coach Eric Spoelstra would not comment further or offer any update on Butler’s status for the team’s game Monday against the Toronto Raptors.
Teammate Jae Crowder provided a cryptic quote about the absence.
“We want to talk to him as soon as he gets out of quarantine and whatever he’s in. But it’s just next-man-up mentality,” Crowder said, per Winderman. He added that, “It’s definitely a curve ball to us to hear stuff like what’s going on with him. And you never know what to expect.”
Talk about things that make you go, “hmm.”
Jimmy Butler was forced to change his jersey on Saturday
Just one day ago, Butler was at the center of a minor NBA controversy. Before the Heat’s game against the Denver Nuggets, he was forced to remove his jersey before being allowed to step onto the court (watch here).
Butler arrived to the game wearing a jersey without a name plate on it. As noted by Marc Stein of the New York Times, he had previously asked the NBA to allow him to do so as a means of expressing equality.
The NBA did not allow it, which is why he had to put a jersey on with a name plate on the back before playing. It’s unknown if that incident has anything to do with Butler staying away from the Heat on Sunday.