Jimmy Butler sure knows how to make an entrance.
Last season, the Heat star showed up to Media Day rocking gold-tipped dreadlocks. This season, he showed up with straightened hair along with lips, nose and eyebrow piercings.
According to Butler, it's his "emo" look.
"This is my emotional state," Butler responded when asked about it. "I'm one with my emotions. So this is what you get."
What is the deal behind Butler's latest look?
Jimmy Butler's Media Day hair, explained
This is almost certainly a case of Butler trolling everyone for the second year in a row.
When asked about his hair last Media Day, Butler said that he was "just messing with stuff to make the internet mad." Safe to assume the goal was the same with him showing up to this year's Media Day like this:
Nobody does Media Day like Jimmy Butler does Media Day pic.twitter.com/mjCCblN2rz
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 2, 2023
Here's a closer look at Butler's new hairdo:
“I’m Emo.” - Jimmy. pic.twitter.com/WuGvTJ8MvV
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) October 2, 2023
As NBA agent and marketer Nate Jones pointed out on X, formerly known as Twitter, Butler's look puts the NBA's media partners in a tricky spot. ESPN avoided using Butler's image from Media Day in one of their graphics last season, choosing a rendering from the video game NBA 2K instead. When the network eventually switched it, they seemed to use an old photo of Butler instead of one of him in dreadlocks.
Butler's teammates were as surprised as everyone else with his new look. Heat star Bam Adebayo said "ain't no way that's him" and joked that Butler was "misunderstood."
"Whatever gets us wins at this point," Adebayo continued with Butler reportedly playing a "Panic! at the Disco" song in the background. "I feel like he's going to go into training camp and have ... a great training camp?
Tyler Herro couldn't take Butler seriously, either.
Jimmy had Tyler shook and Bam in tears 😭 pic.twitter.com/VDx4Bz8wUr
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 2, 2023
The Heat don't play their first preseason game until Oct. 10. Let's see how long Butler keeps this look going.
