Although last year’s campaign was underwhelming by Jimmy Butler’s standards, he showed the NBA world why he was rightfully called “Playoff Jimmy” once the playoffs entered. Despite being placed eighth in the Eastern Conference, he guided the Miami Heat to a stunning upset against the eighth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. On his way to the Heat’s second trip to the NBA Finals in four years, Butler assisted in their victories over the Knicks and the Celtics. Although the Denver Nuggets ultimately prevailed in five games, Miami’s tale of advancing to the Finals as the eighth seed—a team that had to win the Play-In Tournament just to be eligible—will endure in basketball lore.

Because of this, Butler and the Heat have a banner season ahead of them. Two superstars who were rumored to be available for trade this offseason—Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard—did not end up in Miami. Two crucial members of their improbable playoff run—Gabe Vincent and Max Strus—left the team. So, the pressure is on Butler, who is 34 years old, to lead the Heat to the same level of success they had last season.

For these and many more reasons, Butler was selected as the cover star for the 2023–24 NBA Preview edition of Sports Illustrated.

For Sports Illustrated, “Jimmy Butler is one of the most transcendent players in the NBA today, an elite talent with a unique personality and voice on and off the court,” stated Stephen Cannella, editor-in-chief. For SI’s forthcoming NBA season coverage, we sought an entertaining insider’s perspective. Jimmy has all that and more, and he loves talking basketball and tennis equally.