Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler Takes Personal Leave, Misses Game Against Boston Celtics

The Miami Heat‘s star player, Jimmy Butler, has taken a personal leave of absence, leading to his absence in the highly anticipated game against the Boston Celtics at the Kaseya Center.

Butler’s absence, attributed to personal reasons by the Miami Heat management, comes after he missed practice sessions on Friday and Saturday due to excused absences, following the team’s win against the San Antonio Spurs.

In an official statement released by the Heat, Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, disclosed that the player is dealing with a family tragedy, prompting the team to grant him a leave of absence to navigate through this difficult time with privacy.

This marks the first game Butler will miss since January 14, breaking a streak of 13 consecutive games played, and the 16th absence for him this season.

Prior to the game against the Celtics, Miami Heat’s coach Erik Spoelstra expressed the team’s support for Butler, highlighting the importance of two recent practice sessions to prepare for the match against a strong opponent.

Butler, known for his impressive stats this season with an average of 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, has been a crucial player for the Heat.

Following the Celtics game, the Heat has two more games left before the All-Star break, with matchups against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers to close out the pre-break schedule.