Butler vows to win title with Heat next season: 'I didn't do my job'

Jimmy Butler wasted little time shifting his focus to next season, pledging to win the 2020-21 title mere moments after watching the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate their Finals victory over his Miami Heat.

"This is what my team needed me to do, the organization asked of me," Butler said postgame Sunday, courtesy of Nick Friedell of ESPN, indicating that he'd made a promise to team president Pat Riley and coach Erik Spoelstra.

"I told them that I would win them one and I didn't hold up my end of the bargain, so that means I got to do it next year. I told Coach Pat, I told Coach Spo I'm here to win one. I didn't do my job, so moving forward, I got to hold up my end of the bargain."

Individually, Butler did nearly all he could for the Heat in The Finals. Averaging 26.2 points, 9.8 assists, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.2 steals across six games, the 31-year-old played all but 48 seconds in Game 5 with Miami facing elimination. He produced his second triple-double of the series in that contest, joining only LeBron James on the list of players with at least two 35-point triple-doubles in Finals history, courtesy of Stathead.

Throughout the season, much was made of the near-perfect fit between Butler and the Heat, who acquired him in a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. The nine-year veteran referenced the organization's culture on Instagram while telling fans, "Best believe we will be back."

Though the team came up short, Butler is proud of how far the Heat progressed after entering the postseason as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

"This is where I belong. This is what makes me smile," he said. "This is what makes me happy. I wish I could have done it for the city. I wish I could have done it for my teammates, for the organization, but I'm still glad that it happened."