MIAMI — Jimmy Butler walked out of the Miami Heat locker room on Friday night wearing a Michael Jordan jersey. It wasn’t a No. 23 jersey. It was a No. 45 — the one Jordan briefly wore when he returned to the Chicago Bulls after coming out of retirement in March 1995.

Friday night was not the end, even with Jimmy Butler’s seven-game unpaid Miami Heat suspension drawing to a close. Instead, based on Butler’s postgame comments, as the Heat turned from Friday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets to Sunday’s visit by the San Antonio Spurs,

Butler’s seven-game suspension by the Heat for conduct they deemed to be detrimental to the team is now over and he returned to the Heat lineup for the first time in two weeks, scoring 18 points in Miami’s 133-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Butler was indeed back, scoring 18 points in 33 minutes in a Heat loss to the Nuggets, where Denver was comfortably in charge most of the night. Nikola Jokic had a 24-point triple-double to lead Denver.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler took a page out of NBA legend Michael Jordan's book to announce his return to the lineup versus the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

Butler's seven-game suspension by the Heat for conduct they deemed to be detrimental to the team is now over and he returned to the Heat lineup for the first time in two weeks, scoring 18 points in Miami's 133-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Jimmy Butler reportedly ‘hasn’t even really started’ creating drama with the Heat, so let’s rank his funniest trade demand escalation options.

There was no pretense of Butler being a vibrant part of the Heat for Friday’s game. He shot by himself in warmups. There was none of the choreographed palm-slapping with teammates that’s a typical part of any pregame. Kevin Love did run out to him just before the center-tap and shake hands. It looked like the first time they’d seen each other.

Jimmy Butler, his seven-game, team-imposed suspension completed, returned to score 18 points for the Miami Heat in a 133-113 loss to the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday night. The Heat suspended Butler on Jan.

Jimmy Butler is back with the Miami Heat after his suspension, but nothing has really changed. Butler wants the Heat to trade him and the Heat will continue to try to fulfill that request ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Jimmy Butler has finished a seven-game suspension and will suit up for the Miami Heat's game against the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday night.