Multiple insiders, including ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Athletic, reported on Thursday morning that Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler would miss several weeks due to an MCL injury.
Butler's agent — Bernie Lee — not only disputed the early prognosis from those reporters but called out the updates for giving a "created reality."
“We don’t even know…and now we’re having to live in somebody else’s created reality”
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) April 18, 2024
Jimmy Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee (@BernieoLee), disputes the current injury reports on his status with @TheFrankIsola and @Scalabrine
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"We don't see the doctor until later this afternoon, right? And as you guys know, locker rooms are a busy place, people think about something or speculate something, but nobody really knows. We're going to see the doctor later today," Lee said. "We don't even know and now we're having to live in somebody else's created reality of 'You know something that I didn't know.' I was in Philadelphia last night. I literally just landed in Miami. What do you know that I don't know? I'm amazed at it to be totally honest with you."
Lee's words echo reports from Heat beat writers Anthony Chiang and Ira Winderman of the Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel, respectively.
Jimmy Butler, at this moment, has yet to have been evauated. At this moment, he has yet to see the Heat doctor. While the seriousness is apparent, even he is awaiting word.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) April 18, 2024
Jimmy Butler's MRI is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. So apparently some have seen an MRI that has yet to be done. Now, the assumption of extensive time sidelined certainly aligns with the injury.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) April 18, 2024
Jimmy Butler’s MRI scheduled for 3:30 p.m. today for those wondering. https://t.co/8lHikK22ke
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) April 18, 2024
Butler suffered his injury late in the first quarter of the team's 105-104 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in tournament on Wednesday night.
The six-time All-Star was hurt after taking a full-court inbound pass from big man Kevin Love and attempting to move toward the basket on the other end of the floor. Butler corralled the heave and made one pump fake to get Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. in the air, but subsequently had his right knee buckle and crumpled to the floor on a defensive foul.
Last year's Eastern Conference Finals MVP stayed in the contest, split his two free throws and ended the game with 19 points.
Miami will host the Chicago Bulls in a do-or-die play-in tournament game on Friday. The winner will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the first round.
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