Lakers' LeBron James Discusses Trash Talk After Jimmy Butler's 'Trouble' Comment

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler claimed that his trash talk toward LeBron James during the Heat's 115-104 victory in Game 3 of the 2020 NBA Finals was just retaliation, but James disagreed with that sentiment Monday, saying he's "always been a guy who kind of let his game do the talking." 

"For me personally, as long as it doesn't get disrespectful, I'm fine with it," he said, per Silver Screen & Roll's Harrison Faigen. "But I've never really started up a trash-talking dialogue. That's just not me. I believe the way I play the game is enough trash talking in itself." 

Butler told James that his team was "in trouble" as he hit a lay-up that gave the Heat a nine-point lead with 1:15 left to play, but he said that he was dishing back what James said during a conversation at the end of the first quarter.

Butler finished Game 3 with 40 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, which made him the third player in NBA Finals history to notch a 40-point triple-double alongside Jerry West and LeBron James, according to ESPN's Malika Andrews. His historic night also made him the first player since Shaquille O'Neal in 2002 to collect 40 points without any three-point attempts, per Andrews.

Butler was also the first player to beat James in all three categories in a Finals game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau (h/t Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated). 

James led the Lakers with 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, but the Lakers couldn't pull together enough offense to beat Butler and his supporting cast of Tyler Herro (17 points, three rebounds, two assists), Duncan Robinson (13 points, five rebounds, three assists) and Jae Crowder (12 points, eight rebounds) coupled with a surprise outing from Kelly Olynyk, who had 17 points, seven rebounds and one assist off the bench. 

Game 4 between the Lakers and the Heat is Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.