What is Jimmy Butler's legacy after a second Finals loss?

The numbers say Butler is a Hall of Fame lock and one of the best players in today's game

We now have an answer to the question, would the 2023 Finals be the coronation of Nikola Jokic or Jimmy Butler?

Jokic authored one of the most statistically dominant postseason runs of all-time, while Playoff Jimmy's run ran out of gas. He averaged 21.6 points on 41.3 percent shooting from the field in the 2023 Finals and was largely a no-show in Game 5 until the final five minutes.

Butler told ESPN's Nick Friedell last week that winning a title would mean 'everything'. Despite his own admission, he should not be overlooked in the NBA's "ring culture'. Winning a ring is far from 'everything', and his career deserves admiration.

It is also one of the more fascinating résumés to put under the microscope. He's played for four different teams, didn't break out as an All-Star until his fourth season and didn't reach superstar status until his thirties with the Heat.

So exactly where is Butler's place among the game's greats?

The numbers make it pretty clear. He's a Hall-of-Fame lock, top-100 player of all-time, and perhaps a top-10 player in the NBA right now.

Let's break it down:

Is he a Hall of Famer?

Yes. Butler said he could 'care less' about the Hall of Fame in an interview with NBA TV ahead of Game 5. But we care!

His regular-season résumé alone, as a star two-way player, is Hall-of-Fame worthy. He's one of 22 players in NBA history with at least five All-NBA selections and at least five All-Defensive team selections. The 16 retired players on the list are all in the Hall of Fame. The other five not named Jimmy Butler are Hall-of-Fame locks.

5+ All-NBA Selections and 5+ All-Defensive Team Selections in NBA History

Kobe Bryant	Tim Duncan	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Hakeem Olajuwon	Jerry West
John Stockton	Michael Jordan	John Havlicek	David Robinson	Kevin Garnett
Gary Payton	Scottie Pippen	Jason Kidd	Walt Frazier	Ben Wallace
Sidney Moncrief	LeBron James	Chris Paul	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Kawhi Leonard
Dwight Howard	Jimmy Butler

That's just based on Butler's regular-season accolades. We haven't even gotten into the postseason. 

What about his 0 rings?

Instead of his ring count being a "yea, but", it should be a springboard to focus on how impressive it is that he carried two Heat teams to a Finals as their only superstar. That's crazy, especially in the era of super teams. 

It also puts him in impressive company. He's one of 17 players to lead a team to the Finals twice, as their only All-NBA player. Similar story to the previous list. Everybody on this list is either in the Hall of Fame or on the NBA 75th anniversary team.

Led Multiple Teams to Finals as Only All-NBA Player in NBA History

LeBron James	Magic Johnson	Tim Duncan
Bob Pettit	Larry Bird	Hakeem Olajuwon
Jerry West	Rick Barry	Dirk Nowitzki
Walt Frazier	John Havlicek	Ben Wallace
Julius Erving	Jason Kidd	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Clyde Drexler	Jimmy Butler

Who else does he compare to?

Butler's career arc is really interesting, so I've pondered the question – where does he belong among the all-time greats?

I drew up comparisons to five players on the NBA's 75th anniversary team. 

• You might call him Kawhi Leonard lite. They have similar playing styles and numbers, although Leonard has two Finals MVPs and two Defensive Player of the Year awards.
• I see some Scottie Pippen in his game. Elite two-way players with similar stats. Pippen obviously won six rings and had the benefit of playing with Michael Jordan.
• He has a little Clyde Drexler in his résumé. Drexler led Portland to two Finals (both losses), similar to Butler with the Heat, before winning a title in Houston.
• Butler and Gary Payton were also the best players on a Finals loser and elite two-way players. Payton eventually won a title in his last NBA season with the Spurs.
  
• As far as today's game, he's in a similar boat to Damian Lillard. No rings but great playoff performances and overall accolades.

None of those players may match Butler to a tee. His career evolution is one-of-one. But if his profile is this close to players on the NBA's 75th anniversary team, he should be considered a top-100 player of all-time himself.

NBA Careers of Jimmy Butler vs Notable NBA75 Team Members

	Jimmy Butler	Kawhi Leonard	Scottie Pippen	Clyde Drexler	Gary Payton	Damian Lillard
PPG	21.3	19.6	16.1	20.4	16.1	25.2
APG	4.6	3.0	5.2	5.6	6.7	6.7
All-NBA	5x	5x	7x	5x	9x	7x
All-Defense	5x	7x	10x	0x	9x	0x

Where does he stack up in today's NBA?

His four seasons in Miami scream top-10 player right now. 

• Three All-NBA selections and one All-Defensive team selection 
• The Heat have an NBA-best 38 playoff wins and two Finals trips since Butler's first season in Miami in 2019-20
• Butler's playoff averages with Miami are sensational: 24.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 5.7 APG
• His eight 40-point playoff games are tied for most in the NBA since 2020 (with Luka Doncic)
• In the 2020 Finals he joined LeBron James as the only players in Finals history to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks for an entire series.
• His 56-point effort vs the Bucks was tied for the fourth-most points in a playoff game all-time. 

Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic are all probably locks for top-10 players in the NBA right now. The rest of the list is up for debate between names like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Butler. 

The numbers leave very little doubt. Ring or no ring, Butler is one of the best players in the game right now and someday, a Hall of Famer.