Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Postseason's shining star has warm run-in with broadcasting icon

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 5/20/23

Jimmy Butler is indisputably one of the nastiest dudes on the court, but he might also be one of the nicest dudes off of it.

A wholesome interaction between the Miami Heat star Butler and TNT host Ernie Johnson prior to Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday has caught attention. Johnson went over to greet Butler as Butler was making his way past arena security. Butler’s face lit up when he saw Johnson approaching and the two shared a very warm embrace.

As they went their separate ways, an excited Butler exclaimed, “Ran into a legend today, y’all saw that? He knows who I am!”

Here is the tremendous video.

“Ran into a legend. He knows who I am”

Jimmy's reaction to Ernie is priceless pic.twitter.com/5pyPk3D4l8

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 19, 2023

Emmy winner Johnson, 66, is one of the most well-loved figures in all of sports. He has anchored TNT’s coverage of the NBA since 1990 and has also lent his voice to golf, baseball, football and many other avenues.

This is also a perfect example of the duality of Butler. He all but bit a guy’s head off during the game Friday, which the Heat won 111-105 to take an improbable 2-0 lead, with the series only now heading to Miami. But by the same token, Butler can also produce heartwarming clips like this one.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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