Miami Heat Can Still Boast Best Years From Jimmy Butler, LeBron James

LeBron James and Jimmy Butler have boasted decorated careers, impacting several teams along the way.

But still, their finest moments remain in South Florida. Butler and James' eliminations this postseason keep their Miami Heat tenures as the best of their careers.

James appeared in four consecutive Finals with the Big Three, winning two championships, two regular-season MVPs, and two Finals MVPs.

One could argue that his best years were in Cleveland, as he carried several underwhelming squads to the Finals and defeated the 73-9 Warriors in a 3-1 Finals comeback. He also won two MVP awards with the Cavaliers in 2009 and 2010. Still, the amount James did in his short period with the Heat trumps the years of disappointment in Cleveland. In Los Angeles, he boasts just one championship and several seasons not even reaching the second round.

Meanwhile, Butler fueled Miami to two (nearly three) Finals appearances with several dominating postseasons. He solidified his "Playoff Jimmy" reputation with games like his 47-point performance against the Boston Celtics in 2022. Aside from the Chicago Bulls, Miami was the longest team he spent time with in his career.

James and Butler were eliminated this postseason by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder conclude their series Sunday night, leaving Anthony Edwards to eliminate another star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Nikola Jokic.

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Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.