Jimmy Butler’s new look: Even the Miami Heat were surprised by it

Butler look

Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat speaks to reporters during media day at Kaseya Center on October 2, 2023 in Miami, Florida. | Photo by Sam Navarro / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

MIAMI— Jimmy Butler had a new look for Media Day, and the NBA world immediately took notice.

The Miami Heat forward arrived for the team’s first official day of work this season with piercings — eye, lip and nose — along with a new hairstyle and his fingernails painted black.

It’s become a trend of sorts for Butler, who went through the Media Day gamut last year with dreadlocks in a deviation from his usual look.

Butler’s emo state

“I’m very emotional right now. This is my emo state and I like this. This is me,” Butler said. “This is how I’m feeling as of late.”

Coaches greeted Butler with smiles and laughs. Teammates, it seemed, were caught a bit off guard. Heat center Bam Adebayo — who hadn’t seen his teammate before meeting with reporters — thought someone had photoshopped something when a reporter showed him photos of Butler’s look.

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“That is not real. … That is (expletive) hilarious,” Adebayo said.

Added Heat guard Tyler Herro: “He told me this was his Halloween today.”

Still unclear: If Butler will keep the look when Miami opens practice on Tuesday. The team will hold camp at Florida Atlantic University in nearby Boca Raton.

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