This Miami Heat playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks is many things, but calling it a rivalry is a stretch, with this just the second postseason meeting between the teams.
And yet, the bragging rights extend beyond which team advances to the Eastern Conference finals.
That’s because of the Marquette and Middlesex elements of the equation.
Marquette because of the intersections of the college careers of the Bucks’ Wesley Matthews and the Heat’s Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder. Middlesex because of the time the Bucks’ Pat Connaughton and Heat’s Duncan Robinson spent in the Middlesex (Mass.) Magic AAU program.
With Matthews, Butler and Crowder, it is a lineage that began with Matthews at Marquette from 2005-09, Butler at the school from 2008-11 and Crowder there from 2010-12.
“It means a lot,” Butler said of the reunion coming at this level of competition, with Game 2 between that Heat and Bucks on Wednesday night at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. “But I will say that Wes set the tone for us, in the sense that he came into the league as an underdog and showed what it takes to make it. He’s made a hell of a career out of it, at that.
“But you know going into Marquette you’re going to get somebody that just plays incredibly hard and definitely prides himself on the defensive end. And then just constantly get better year after year.”
While Butler said none of the three quite measure up to former Heat guard Dwyane Wade when it comes to Marquette pedigree, there is a prideful rivalry.
“So whatever rank you put us three in, you’ve got dogs and you’ve got guys that want to win and are going to compete at the highest levels,” he said. “So I’m fortunate for [Matthews] setting a tone. I’m fortunate for Jae being able to go to war with me every day. I’m going to keep thanking those guys for that.”
Crowder said it has added another level to the competition.
“It’s been good playing with Jimmy, alongside my college buddy,” he said. “We obviously played college a year. So it’s good to rekindle that a little bit and just push each other and help each other as much as possible on the court.
“And obviously Wes is well respected with me and Jimmy, and with our whole Marquette University. So just to play against an old friend, to see a familiar face is always good.”
Crowder said the ties go back to when Matthews would return to Marquette for pickup games while Crowder and Butler were still at the school.
“When Wes was in his first year in the NBA, he came back to Marquette when me and Jimmy were in college and played pick-up ball,” Crowder said. “Trash talking, that’s never going to change. Just our competitive nature is always going to take over. But it’s all fun and games. It’s all just competitive and it’s all for the love of the game. And obviously we’re all good friends off the court.”
As for Connaughton and Robinson, Connaughton entered the NBA two years before Robinson, but not before previously going at it while in high school in New England.
“I’ve chased him around for a long time,” Connaughton said. “Usually he was on my team and I didn’t have to do the chasing back in the AAU days, back home. But, you know, he’s a great kid, he’s a great shooter, obviously. The world’s started to see what he could do obviously this year.
“But it does go back home, it goes back to New England. That’s where we started playing together and built a relationship, a friendship. And I’m thrilled with the success that he’s had, the success that he’s brought to the Heat and himself, for his personal career.”
This time, of course, it can’t be personal.
“I told him, I’m a nice guy,” Connaughton said, “but I’m not a nice guy in between the 94 feet. So I’ll try to toy with him a little bit. I’ve blocked his shot once or twice off those dribble handoffs. And I’ll make sure he remembers that.”
