Jimmy Butler Went Full Emo

Jimmy Butler is going through a phase. Just like the scores of eyeliner-and-teased-hair avatars before him who were dealing with a lot right now, okay, Butler showed up to the Miami Heat’s media day on Monday with a simple message: “I’m emo.”

Butler sat down for his press conference with the entire emo kid starter pick: haphazardly-painted black nails, straightened bangs hanging over one side of his face like a curtain, rings in his lip and nose, and to really land the plane, a double spike pierced through his left eye brow. It’s nice that he took some time off from the black parade to be there. He looks ready to compete for an NBA championship—and also tell you that Hot Topic has a bunch of really sick belts on sale right now.

This has become one of the NBA’s best bits. Butler is entering his 13th season in the league, and along the way, he’s become wise to how the media machine works. Last year, upon realizing that the headshot he’d take at media day would be used all season for in-game graphics, starting lineup photos, and other visual material, he donned some hair extensions that he knew would not match his actual on-court look at all. (It’s still, hilariously, his photo on Basketball-Reference.)

Look, the NBA season is grueling, and it hasn’t even started yet. Bringing some real-life humor to the occupation is a welcome sight, especially for a player as famous as Butler. As pop punk royalty Paramore—perhaps part of the inspiration for Butler’s appearance—said, “Ain’t it fun, living in the real world?” Any sort of glimpse into a player’s real personality is extremely fun and welcome behavior, and for someone who’s a documented troll like Butler, it just adds to his lore.

Also, if we’re being honest, he just looks great. Butler will almost definitely have his hair twisted back into his usual braids when the Heat tip off their season on October 25, but we don’t hate this To Write Love On Her Arms aesthetic for him. Swoopy bangs, face piercings, nasally voice whining about unrequited love is a type of guy that is slowly going extinct. For those of us who remember not only growing up around those types, but also reading their MySpace ramblings while a Taking Back Sunday song blared from their profile, seeing Butler embrace angst was about the best thing that could have come from an NBA media day, which is usually a pretty humdrum experience. Maybe you were one of those kids! This is the representation from the jock side of the aisle that most middle and high schools could desperately use.

In the past, we’ve seen Butler enjoy different parts of the South Florida lifestyle by chumming it up with courtside DJ Khaled or playing dominoes and sipping a colada in Little Havana. Whether he knows it or not, Butler has now embraced a different part of South Florida culture, one that spawned emo heroes Dashboard Confessional, New Found Glory, and Mayday Parade. Citing a new emotional state, he also got some new threads that he debuted in what is technically his first tunnel fit of the season.

After most of the Heat’s offseason revolved around their will they, won’t they pursuit of Damian Lillard—which ended with Lillard’s official trade to Milwaukee last week, and means that fellow sartorial star Tyler Herro is still in Miami—it’s nice for Butler to bring some levity to the squad’s first day of duty. His teammates, including Herro, are having fun with it, and the memes are pouring in like Butler’s mid-range jumpers. In classic anguished-soul style, some people won’t get it, and will poke fun at Butler’s “listens to The Cure once” fit. That’s fine. His running mate Bam Adebayo summed it up nicely, expressing the sentiment that every emo kid holds true about themselves but struggles to convey outwardly: “He’s just misunderstood.”