"We believe in eye to eye communication; Jimmy’s my brother" - Udonis Haslem addresses his recent scuffle with Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler got into an argument on the bench with teammate Udonis Haslem and head coach Erik Spoelstra a few weeks back. Butler and the Miami Heat were in the midst of a meltdown against the Golden State Warriors when the heated scuffle happened.

In an interview with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Haslem has revealed that there's no resentment between him and Butler. The veteran locker room presence noted that arguments frequently happen in South Beach and that he loves his teammate.

"Typical day in Miami. That's how we get stuff done around here. We believe in eye-to-eye communication. Jimmy's my brother. I love Jimmy," Haslem said.

Udonis Haslem further explained in an appearance on the 'Naked with Cari Champion' podcast that cooler heads should have prevailed. However, Haslem does not regret about the incident, as he and Butler were able to improve their play heading into the playoffs, saying:

"I could have been a little more cool-headed. Jimmy could have been a little more cool-headed. But I don't think neither one of us regret that situation. Because you look at the type of basketball we're playing now. A couple of days later, we were back drinking wine together."

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat were in a slump when the incident happened on March 23. The team was able to overcome adversity as they finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 53-29. The Heat will have homecourt advantage till the conference finals.

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Erik Spoelstra reacts to scuffle between Udonis Haslem and Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat

Immediately after their loss against the Golden State Warriors on Mar, 23, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra addressed the incident with Jimmy Butler. Spoelstra joked that they were discussing dinner plans, explaining that the entire team was just frustrated with their poor basketball. He said.

"Everybody was wondering where the dinner plans were tonight after the game. It was pretty clear. We have a very competitive, gnarly group, and we were getting our asses kicked, and it's two straight games we're not playing to the level we want to play."

The Heat rebounded after their loss to the Warriors, going 6-3 in their last nine games of the season. Butler ended the season on a high, averaging 22.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists in his last seven games. Butler will try to lead the Heat back to the NBA Finals after failing to win it all in 2020.

The six-time NBA All-Star was the Heat's best player this season. He played in just 57 games but averaged 21.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.6 steals. Butler shot the ball well at 48.0% from the field and 87.0% from the free throw line.