Lip readers think Jimmy Butler told Bam Adebayo why he declined to hold the conference finals trophy: ‘I’ll hold the next one’

Butler undoubtedly has his eyes on the prize.

Aside from his game-changing abilities in the clutch and his versatility, one of Jimmy Butler’s best qualities is his confidence. Whenever the Miami Heat superstar steps on the court, he wills his and his team’s success into reality by believing it.

Butler’s long-awaited revenge over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals is but one example.

But there was an additional key moment from the Heat’s Eastern Conference Finals trophy presentation you might have missed Monday night. As TNT’s Ernie Johnson congratulated Miami for earning a berth in the 2023 NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, Bam Adebayo tried to offer Butler a chance at holding the Eastern Conference trophy.

In a video uncovered by Twitter user @Demar305, Butler appears to tell Adebayo he’ll hold “the next one.” As in, the NBA Finals championship trophy when he thinks the Heat eventually come out on top.

Oh, what spicy confidence:

I don’t know if I agree with Butler’s prognostication. There’s a good reason the Nuggets are already heavily favored to win their first title in franchise history. But Butler and the Heat have been beating the odds all year.

Who am I to tell this star with a perennial chip on his shoulder that he won’t make it happen? If this video is any indication, if that’s what Butler really told Adebayo: He’s clearly got the NBA title in his crosshairs.

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