Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has revealed close friend and teammate Kyle Lowry has been the Ying to his Yang since joining the team last year and is the calming presence in the room when he, Butler, decides to get feisty.
Butler has long shaken off the reputation of being a bad teammate and it’s pretty apparent that he’s a favorite among the members of the Heat roster, yet that hardly means he doesn’t get chippy with everyone during practices.
Lowry, whose presence has helped return Miami to contention, is nothing like Butler in that sense, which is why the former Marquette man believes he’s perfect for their chemistry.
“I think Kyle’s like the perfect — I mean that’s my brother, godfather to my child, like all of that good stuff — he’s the perfect counterbalance for me because the points that I get across, are from zero to one hundred. And I’m at the hundred,” the All-Star told Dime during a recent interview.
“Like yo, I don’t have time for this. There’s cuss words, there’s yelling that’s going on, and Kyle walks in so calm and collected and he’s just like, everything’s going to be okay guys. Don’t listen to Jimmy he’s just yelling, he’s on one. So I really respect him for what he brings to the table. Along with Bam and Spo and everybody else, but Kyle, I’m telling you he’s the perfect counterbalance, point guard, Hall of Fame player that can really get everybody to rally around him.”
Butler is having a solid season with Miami so far, averaging 21.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, as well as earning an All-Star appearance this term. Lowry’s scoring numbers aren’t as great but he does plenty that does not get on the stat sheet and is one of the main reasons the Heat are having such a strong campaign. The former Toronto Raptors guard is averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per contest.
The Heat currently lead the Eastern Conference with a 37-20 record, a full game ahead of the Chicago Bulls. They play the Dallas Mavericks at home on Tuesday night.
