Watch: Jimmy Butler tells Bam Adebayo ‘I’ll hold the next one’ when offered Eastern Conference finals trophy 

The Miami Heat blew out the Boston Celtics in Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals. Following the game, the Bob Cousy trophy was handed out to the Heat for winning the Eastern Conference.

Bam Adebayo was the first to hold the trophy and tried to pass it to his teammate Jimmy Butler. However, the veteran declined, saying:

“I’ll hold the next one”

Butler, of course, is referencing the Larry O’Brien trophy given out to the NBA champions after the Finals. Butler and the Heat were never supposed to make it even this far, yet the player is clearly not satisfied with just making the finals and is seeking his first ever NBA title.

It is another sign of Heat culture and the unreal belief this Miami team has. They already dominated the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round when no one gave them a chance.

Miami then held their nerve after blowing a 3-0 series lead against the Boston Celtics and won Game 7 despite being a heavy underdog on the road.

Have the Heat made it to the Finals before?

Miami Heat team will not be scared to face the top seeded Nuggets in the Finals even though they are +400 to win the series. Their coach Erik Spoelstra has plenty of experience in this stage of the playoffs and it is the sixth time that he has taken the Heat to the NBA Finals.

Spoelstra’s Heat are 2-3 in their previous five trips to the championship round. They last made the finals in the 2020 bubble postseason where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

Miami were a shot away from the finals last season. Butler had a shot that just rimmed out to win Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference finals against Boston. Nevertheless, the team got their revenge this season, doing so against Boston on the road.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set for Thursday June 1 in Denver. The Heat will find themselves in the underdog role once again. Denver is a -8.5 favorite in Game 1.