Jimmy Butler shamelessly faked being injured to sell gross foul

Jimmy Butler is one of the big contenders in the NBA. On Tuesday night, the New York Knicks saw firsthand that Butler would go far to try to win.

Butler’s Miami Heat were stuck in a tight game against the Knicks that came down to the dying seconds. With the Heat a point behind, Butler was fouled by the ball by Julius Randle of New York. Butler appeared to be seriously injured at first as he writhed on the ground in pain, but he was really trying to sell a blatant appeal. It did not work. The officials made the right choice and assessed it as a common fault.

The best part of Butler’s acting job? Smirking, he flashed the camera because he was supposed to be hurt.

The Heat would hold a two-point lead on final possession as the Knicks got the ball. Butler defended New York guard RJ Barrett, who narrowly missed the potential basket.

The Heat took the win, which gave the team their first three-game winning streak all year.

After the match, Butler credited his long-standing friendship with actor Mark Wahlberg as the inspiration for his performance in trying to sell the blatant foul.

Butler is also a huge football fan, so I guess he knows a thing or two about the flop.

The image of Butler reaching his climax to see if the refs were going to give him the blatant foul he was looking for is so funny. You know, former Butler coach Tom Thibodeau, now in charge of the Knicks, must have appreciated the cunning.

It is not the look of a man who suffers.

Butler finished the night with 26 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. He had +25 in a game the Heat won by two points.

The Heat have struggled to start the season as the squad has been limited by Covid-19 and league health and safety protocol, but they will remain a factor in the East with Butler back in the lineup . This man will do whatever it takes to gain any advantage.