With under six seconds remaining and the Heat leading 121-111 over the Raptors, Jimmy Butler found himself with the ball in a clutch moment. He took a 14-foot jumper but missed it and the ball landed in the hands of Bam Adebayo, who grabbed the offensive rebound. Wait, wasn’t that all the Heat’s All-Star center needed to record his triple-double? Closely looking into the replay, one could figure out that Butler had intentionally missed the shot, allowing his teammate to secure his eighth career triple-double but what he said afterward is hilarious.

In the post-game interview when Jimmy was asked whether he knew that Bam needed a rebound to finish with a 14-10-10 stat line, the 35-year-old denied. “I had no idea,” he confessed. On further pressing he said, “I just shoot terrible shots like that where I throw the ball straight up in there.” Of course, Jimmy wasn’t serious about it, as we’ve seen him make similar shots with ease. In fact, he was seen mouthing something to the 27-year-old after releasing the ball. He simply wanted to help his frontcourt partner achieve a milestone that he himself had already reached. While it was Bam’s 8th triple-double, Jimmy has recorded 12 with the Heat and 16 in total. But the former got his first of the season, while Jimmy has yet to record his.

Even in the previous matchup against the Hornets, Bam came close to achieving the feat, but he fell short by just two points. So, when Jimmy had the opportunity, he didn’t want it to go to waste. Following Friday night’s victory, Bam expressed his appreciation for Jimmy’s gesture. Calling him his “guy,” the 6-foot-9 center added, “That’s what you’re supposed to do as teammates—look out for each other.” In his five seasons with the franchise, Jimmy has grown closest to Adebayo and has always rooted for him. Not only on the court but even in interviews.

Jimmy Butler Lavishes Praise on Bam Adebayo

In the same interview, when a reporter asked what he like about Bam’s ability to create opportunities with ten assists in back-to-back games, Jimmy responded, “I like the fact that he’s getting everybody the ball in the position to where they can score. But more than anything, guys are scoring the ball at a incredible high clip. But I don’t think that’s our problem. I think that we gotta guard somebody another day.” Finally he concluding by saying, “As long as he keeps attacking and keep everybody else involved, he’s always gonna have ten assists.” The 6-time All-Star may not have had a glittery night as Bam’s, but he still made a valuable contribution of 26 points along with 2 rebounds and 6 assists.

Jimmy wasn’t the only one impressed with Bam. Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra too was all praises for the big man. After the game, the veteran coach claimed, “Bam, one of his initial gifts when he started to take on more offense responsibilities years ago was his playmaking, his ability to do triple handoffs, his ability to pass at the elbow or the top of the floor.” Spoelstra revealed that they want him to apply pressure on the opponent’s defense by utilizing those skills.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine for the Heat. Despite the historic night, the franchise couldn’t make it past the competitive NBA Cup, as the Bucks and Pistons both finished with more wins (3) than their 2 so they had to exit from the tournament. Nevertheless, they can focus on the regular season games and so far their journey hasn’t been impressive. But with Jimmy and Bam consistently performing at their best, it won’t be difficult for the squad to climb to the top of the Eastern Conference table.