Cincinnati coach Butch Jones got an up-close-and-personal view of sports played at the highest level.
Check the photo below of Jones sitting behind the bench for Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, when the Miami Heat clinched the championship with their fourth straight win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Jones has developed a relationship with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. The two reportedly were introduced by agent Trace Armstrong and became fast friends – bonding over coaching philosophies, according to the report.
“We’ve developed quite a relationship,” Jones told the newspaper before Game 5. “A lot of our motivational stuff and philosophies are very similar. I’m just looking forward to hopefully watching them reach their goal.”
Yes, we realize that Jones, a current Ohio guy, watched Cleveland Cavaliers villain LeBron James grab his first NBA title and a Finals MVP along the way.
But it was a learning experience for Jones, even if competition in the Big East this season won’t exactly be as stiff as what Miami faced this postseason.
