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Dysfunction, stormy practices and six All-Star Games: A decade of Jimmy Butler

The Miami Heat suspended Jimmy Butler again on Monday, the third suspension for their disgruntled star over the past month but the one that appears to signal the end of his six-year tenure with the team.
The Heat said the latest suspension -- triggered by Butler walking out of practice after hearing the team planned to bring him off the bench -- will take this ongoing drama through the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6.
The indefinite suspension all but closes a complicated chapter of Butler's 14-year career. A six-time All-Star, an Eastern Conference finals MVP and the leader of two teams that went to the NBA Finals, Butler has taken each of his four franchises to heights they have struggled to replicate without him.
Yet Miami is seeing firsthand how uncomfortable Butler can make life when he is unhappy. His exit strategies have become legendary: confrontational practice sessions, clashes with coaches and an overall push to make the situation untenable. Butler already had missed nine of Miami's past 12 games with suspensions, the first being seven games for conduct the Heat deemed detrimental and the next for two games for missing a team flight to Milwaukee last week, before his latest penalty on Monday.
If Butler has played his final game for the Heat, then it's a chance to take a look back at the veteran's tumultuous NBA career and how each situation devolved from promising potential to painful breakup.
Chicago Bulls (2011 to 2017)
October 2014: Butler turned down a reported four-year, $40 million offer from the Bulls following a career year. He believed he could make more after the following season.
2014-16: During his rise with the Bulls, Butler ran into issues with veterans Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. Both were traded following the 2015-16 season.
July 9, 2015: After turning down an extension the previous season, Butler signed a five-year, $90 million max contract.
Dec. 20, 2015: Following a loss, Butler criticized new coach Fred Hoiberg. "You got to hold everyone accountable; everybody has to do their job," Butler said.
January 2017: With tension in the locker room growing, Rajon Rondo stood up for the younger Bulls players in a meeting. The rift led to fines for Butler, Rondo and Dwyane Wade after their remarks went public.
June 22, 2017: Butler was traded to Minnesota for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 pick in the 2017 draft after a drama-filled season in Chicago.
Butler arrived in Chicago as the 30th pick in the 2011 draft, but quickly ascended up the depth chart.
He did not play much as a rookie, but by his third season, he developed into a consistent starter, carrying the team while Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah were sidelined by injuries. By Year 4, Butler made his first All-Star team and ushered the Bulls into a new era, shifting from a team led by Noah and Rose into one centered on its emerging superstar. And Butler was intent on putting his stamp on the franchise, demanding the same dedication it took for him to rise from the end of the bench to star player at all levels.
The Bulls hired Fred Hoiberg as coach in 2015 and he immediately clashed with Butler, who signed a new five-year max contract. By December, Butler was criticizing Hoiberg after games, saying he needed to coach harder. Butler also clashed with Noah during the 2015-16 season, which led to heated disagreements throughout the year, sources told ESPN at the time. Chicago put together the misguided three alphas of Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo for the 2016-17 season in an attempt to compete, but after a first-round playoff exit, the Bulls fielded multiple calls for Butler on draft night 2017 -- the second straight year they tried to trade him at the draft -- before finally sending him to Minnesota.
The deal marked the end of the Butler era in Chicago. It also sent the Bulls into a rebuild from which they haven't recovered. Chicago has made the playoffs only once since trading Butler, when it lost in the first round in 2022 against the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.
Minnesota Timberwolves (2017 to 2019)
Jan. 16, 2018: Only months into his time with the Timberwolves, Butler called out the team's attitude on the court. "I'm glad we lost," he said following a defeat to the Orlando Magic.
July 3, 2018: Following Minnesota's first-round loss to the Houston Rockets, sources indicated that Butler was "fed up" with the Wolves' young roster, including forward Karl-Anthony Towns.
July 13, 2018: After the disappointing playoff exit, Butler turned down a four-year extension.
Sept. 20, 2018: Ahead of the 2018-19 season, Butler requested a trade from Minnesota.
Oct. 10, 2018: In his first practice since requesting a trade, Butler yelled at Minnesota general manager Scott Layden as the team scrimmaged. "You f---king need me, Scott. You can't win without me," Butler said. He played with bench players during the practice and famously beat the starters and "regulars" throughout the scrimmages.
Oct. 10, 2018: Later that day, Butler sat down with ESPN's Rachel Nichols to discuss the heated practice and his future with the franchise.
Nov. 10, 2018: A month later, the Wolves agreed to trade Butler to Philadelphia for Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second-round pick.
Butler's trade from Chicago reunited him with his former Tom Thibodeau. Butler's first season in Minnesota was a success, as he made the All-Star team for the fourth consecutive year and led the Wolves to the postseason, breaking a 13-year drought of playoff basketball. However, Butler missed 17 games late in the season, and the Timberwolves tumbled from fourth in the standings to eighth. They were quickly dispatched by the top-seeded Houston Rockets. The following summer, Butler and the Wolves were not able to reach a contract extension, leading to trade rumors that began swirling by the start of training camp.
Butler missed the first two weeks of camp after requesting a trade, and when he returned, he unleashed his frustration on the rest of the team in a now-famous practice session. He dominated his teammates on the court and yelled at them off it, targeting his ire at Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, Thibodeau and then-Wolves GM Scott Layden, whom Butler told, "You f---ing need me."
And yet, Butler was in the starting lineup for the Wolves when they opened the regular season, though his tenure in Minnesota was all but over. After a two-month saga, Butler played 10 games for the Wolves to begin the 2018-19 season before being sent to Philadelphia in November.
Philadelphia 76ers (2018-19)
Nov. 12, 2018: The trade was completed, with Butler and Justin Patton arriving in Philadelphia.
Jan. 4, 2019: A few months into Butler's tenure on the 76ers, the All-Star aggressively challenged coach Brett Brown's big three hierarchy and his own role on offense.
The Sixers, with their trio of Joel Embiid, reigning Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons and Butler, were positioned right away to be a contender in the Eastern Conference and provide a payoff to fans who had just lived through "The Process" rebuilding years. Though Butler wasn't eligible to sign an extension immediately, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported at the time that the forward and the Sixers fully expected to reach a deal on a long-term contract in the summer. But six weeks into Butler's tenure, he "aggressively challenged" coach Brett Brown during a film session, leading to another rift. Butler would go on to criticize Brown's playcalling and put him on blast often in front of the media throughout the season.
Butler played in only 55 games for the Sixers, but he provided highlights, game winners and fourth-quarter takeovers that seemed to prove his point to Brown that more of the offense should be centered around him. Butler was brilliant in the postseason, especially during a thrilling seven-game, second-round series loss against the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors.
Butler was eligible to sign a five-year, $190 million deal with the 76ers in the offseason, but the team elected instead to bet on Tobias Harris, who had been acquired from the LA Clippers in a trade two months after Butler arrived in Philadelphia. The Sixers facilitated a sign-and-trade deal to send him to Miami while bringing Josh Richardson to Philadelphia, though the shooting guard lasted just a season there before being shipped to Dallas. Brown was fired as coach after the following season, and Philadelphia still hasn't made it beyond the second round of the playoffs since 2001.
Three years later Butler exclaimed "Tobias Harris over me?!" after the Heat defeated the 76ers in the playoffs.
Miami Heat (2019 to present)
March 23, 2022: Jimmy Butler, Udonis Haslem and head coach Erik Spoelstra got into a heated argument during a timeout in a close game against the Golden State Warriors. Haslem and Butler were shouting at each other, and Spoelstra slammed a clipboard on the floor in frustration. The Heat went on to lose their fourth game in seven matchups.
May 6, 2024: During an end-of-season news conference, team president Pat Riley addressed some of Butler's on- and off-court antics surrounding the playoffs. Butler sprained a knee in the play-in tournament and did not play in the first round of the playoffs. When asked about Butler's behavior, Riley said, "If you're not on the court playing against Boston, or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut."
June 26, 2024: Butler and the Heat failed to agree to an extension ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Dec. 10, 2024: The Heat said they were open to potential trades for Butler.
Dec. 26, 2024: After ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Butler preferred a trade out of Miami, Riley announced in a statement, "We are not trading Jimmy Butler."
Dec. 31, 2024: When asked if he wants to be in Miami, Butler responded simply, "That's a good question."
Jan. 2, 2025: Butler indicated to the Heat that he would like to be traded. "I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball. Wherever that may be, we'll find out here pretty soon," Butler said.
Jan. 14, 2025: In a face-to-face meeting with Riley during his suspension, Butler reiterated his demand to be traded.
Jan. 22, 2025: Butler was again suspended, this time for two games. The latest instance was for missing a team flight.
Jan. 23, 2025: Following another suspension, Spoelstra told the Heat roster to "get used to" and "get over" the constant news surrounding the situation.
Jan. 27, 2025: After being told he was being replaced in the starting lineup, Butler walked out of practice, leading to his third suspension of the month. He is now suspended indefinitely.
The Heat executed a four-team trade to sign Butler to a four-year contract in 2019, and it was instantly a perfect marriage of player and team. The term "Heat Culture" was born and seemed tailor-made for Butler. It was a mantra that fit Butler's ideology as a player who had worked his way from the end of the bench to stardom, as well as the Heat's success in turning unheralded players into playoff contributors.
The Heat went to the NBA Finals during the 2020 bubble, dragged there by Butler, who leaned over the guardrails in exhaustion during a game, an image that would become a meme. In 2021-22, Miami was the No.1 seed in the East and missed returning to the Finals by one game, when a furious comeback in the fourth quarter of Game 7 against the Boston Celtics fell just short as Butler missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 16 seconds left. A year later, the Heat got revenge on the Celtics, holding off a 3-0 comeback to win in Game 7 in Boston and return to the Finals, this time as a No. 8 seed. Butler's playoff performances became so iconic, the nickname Playoff Jimmy began to stick.
But Butler's postseason performances began to stand in contrast to his regular-season production, especially as injuries kept him out of a combined 40 games during the past two seasons. Butler also missed the Heat's entire first-round playoff loss to the Celtics in 2024 with a sprained MCL but said later during a radio interview that if he'd been healthy, the Heat would have beaten the Celtics, who went on to win the title. Heat president Pat Riley directed a comment toward Butler at his end of the season news conference, saying, "If you're not on the court playing ... you should keep your mouth shut." Then, Riley declined to reward a maximum contract to Butler at age 35, despite the two NBA Finals appearances, again reiterating his desire for the veteran to be on the floor more often.
Butler dropped the antics he had become known for on media day -- emo hair in 2023, dreadlocks the year before that -- and said he wanted to focus on the season ahead. But in December, ESPN reported that Miami was open to trading Butler. When Riley issued a statement the day after Christmas that the Heat "are not trading Jimmy Butler," it was unclear to whom the declaration was directed -- the public or Butler. Meanwhile, Butler was missing in action for most of this time. He rolled an ankle Dec.20 and missed 13 days with an illness.
He returned for a back-to-back in the first two days of the new year, though Butler indicated the team accused him of not playing his hardest in the first game. After the second game, a blowout loss to the Pacers, Butler said he had lost his joy for basketball and that it could "probably not" be found in Miami.
Butler was suspended for seven games Jan. 3, a day after the rant, as Miami issued a second statement: "Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers."
In a meeting with Riley during that suspension, Butler said he would not sign a new deal in Miami and intended to use his $52 million player option for 2025-26 only as a trade maneuver, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Jan. 14. Butler returned for three games, but then received a second suspension Jan. 22 after he missed a team flight to Milwaukee. After he sat out two more games, the team indefinitely suspended Butler on Monday. The third suspension came when the disgruntled star walked out of morning practice after the Heat told him he'd come off the bench moving forward. Now, he'll be suspended for at least five games, which runs through the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Chavez, 41, signs minor league deal with Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Veteran right-hander Jesse Chavez has agreed to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to spring training with the Texas Rangers, the team that drafted the 41-year-old pitcher nearly 23 years ago.
The Rangers also on Monday signed right-hander David Buchanan, outfielder Cody Thomas and catcher Chad Wallach to minor league deals with invitations to big league spring training.
Chavez was 2-2 with a 3.13 ERA in 46 games last season for Atlanta. He has a 51-65 record with a 4.25 ERA in 653 career games (85 starts) over 17 seasons with nine different teams. He was a World Series champion in 2021 with the Braves.
Texas took Chavez in the 42nd round of the 2002 amateur draft, and traded him four years later to Pittsburgh, where he made his big league debut in 2008.
He was 6-6 with a 4.58 ERA in 96 games (nine starts) for the Rangers from 2018-20. He signed with Texas as a free agent before the 2018 season, was traded to the Chicago Cubs later that summer and then re-signed with Texas in free agency before the 2019 season.
The 35-year-old Buchanan made one relief appearance for Cincinnati last season, his first MLB game since 36 starts for Philadelphia from 2014-15 until pitching three seasons in Japan and four in Korea.
Wallach hit seven home runs in 65 games for the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, and spent all of last season with their Triple-A team. Thomas, a left-handed hitter who played in 29 games for Oakland in 2022 and 2023, hit .263 with two homers and 19 RBI in 79 games in Japan last year.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers have created a new company to oversee production and distribution of their game broadcasts.
The MLB team on Monday unveiled the Rangers Sports Media & Entertainment Company. That company will include the new Rangers Sports Network (RSN) and the existing REV Entertainment that is the team's official sports and entertainment partner and official booking agent for events at its current and former stadiums.
"One of the main goals when seeking solutions for Rangers television broadcasts was to give fans more access to our games," Rangers majority owner Ray Davis said. "We determined that the best path toward providing our fans with more options is to handle many of the broadcast obligations in-house."
The Rangers earlier this month entered into a multiyear agreement with A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC) to stream Rangers regional games directly to consumers on the Victory+ service starting this year. The team said then that service, which will cost $100 to access games for a full season, was the first step in providing multiple viewing options after several seasons of access issues, but still hasn't revealed details about additional options.
Formation of the Rangers Sports Network comes before the anticipation of deals for local TV rights to have games air through traditional cable providers along with some limited over-the-air broadcasts. The Rangers have more than 16 million households in their broadcast territory over parts of five states.
Neil Leibman, who is part of the team's ownership group, will be chairman of the Rangers Sports Media & Entertainment Company, relinquishing his previous team responsibilities as COO and president of business operations. Jim Cochrane, a 28-year veteran of the Rangers front office, was promoted to executive vice president and chief business officer.
The Rangers previously had their regional broadcasts on Bally Sports Southwest, part of the financially troubled Diamond Sports Group that went through a bankruptcy reorganization. The team's deal with Diamond expired at the end of last season. Bally Sports Southwest was not available through some cable companies and many popular streaming platforms.

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles agreed to terms with Dylan Carlson on a $975,000, one-year contract Monday, a couple of months after the outfielder was non-tendered by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Carlson was a first-round draft pick in 2016 by the St. Louis Cardinals, and he hit 18 home runs in his first full season in 2021. Since then, however, he's hit only 16.
Carlson hit .209 with three home runs and 25 RBIs in 96 games for the Cardinals and Rays in 2024, but at age 26 the switch-hitter may still have some upside and can play all three outfield spots.
The Orioles lost right fielder Anthony Santander to Toronto via free agency, and they've added outfielder Tyler O'Neill. Also in the mix for playing time in the Baltimore outfield are Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad.
Carlson's deal includes a $25,000 bonus if he reaches 200 plate appearances.

It's 25 years since Italy joined the party and the Five Nations became the Six Nations.
But how much can you remember since the competition expanded to its current format?
Which team has won the most Grand Slams since 2000? Who has played the most matches in the Six Nations era? And which player has scored the most tries?
We have picked out some of the tournament's records to test your knowledge. Good luck!

Experienced centre Slade, 31, says continuity of selection is vital as England look to turn around a disappointing 2024 and take a major scalp in Dublin.
"The more you play with someone the more you get to know what they are doing in every situation," Slade told BBC Sport.
"The more I train with Ollie the more I know what he likes and when he likes to be given the ball.
"My job as a second playmaker is to get the ball into players like his hands and Freemo's [Tommy Freeman] hands on the outside, just to let them do what they do."
Slade was part of the last England team to win at the Aviva, scoring two tries in a 32-20 win six years ago.
"It was a great night for us. We just attacked that game with everything from the start, and it is going to have to be nothing less than that [on Saturday]," he said.
"You can't go [to Dublin] in your shell, you have to go and put your game on the pitch and be physical, and just be excited about the challenge."

It has been 11 years since Jones was most recently involved on the international stage, in what was a controversial end to his Test playing career.
Gatland brought Jones off after just 30 minutes against South Africa in his 100th and final international.
Jones was unhappy at the time and also wrote about the experience later in his autobiography. He insists any issues are now a thing of the past.
"We have kissed and made up," said Jones.
"It got twisted a little bit when I finished. Anyone who finishes their career is going to be upset. What he (Gatland) did for me as a player was huge and I worked with him for a decade.
"I wouldn't have got to 95 Wales caps, won Grand Slams or gone on Lions tours if he hadn't have come in at that time and pushed me in the right direction.
"He had a certain way of doing things and got me to that level and I was always be thankful for that, so I'm happy to work for him because he had such a massive influence on my career."
Gatland is under extreme pressure having been given a vote of confidence for the Six Nations despite overseeing Wales' worst losing run.
"For someone who has been around the block as long as he has, he's calm and knows what he wants," said Jones.
"What he is good at, when I was a player, was that backs-to-the-wall narrative.
"Gats is brilliant at the underdogs mentality and bringing a team together quickly in a short space of time and getting results out of them. He's exceptional at that and I'm backing him to pull it round."

MOORESVILLE, N.C. Veteran racer Corey LaJoie announced a multifaceted NASCAR effort in 2025 that will see the 33-year-old return to the NASCAR Cup Series and appear on Prime Video NASCAR broadcasts as an analyst.
LaJoie will drive the No. 01 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing in a limited schedule, beginning with the season-opening Daytona 500. The No. 01 aligns with LaJoies desire to create a Stacking Pennies Performance Brand, the genesis of which began four years ago with his Stacking Pennies podcast. Built on the notion that small victories over time lead to success,
Stacking Pennies is now one of the most popular NASCAR podcasts.
DuraMAX and Take 5 Oil Change will be the primary partners for LaJoie at Daytona, where small victories will be needed to ensure a place in the 67th Daytona 500. As an open entry, the No. 01 DuraMAX/Take 5 Oil Change Ford Mustang does not have a guaranteed starting spot.
LaJoies Daytona 500 drive begins Feb. 12 with time trials and continues Feb. 13 with the Duel, twin 150-mile qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500. If LaJoie is one of the two fastest open drivers in time trials or scores the highest finish among open drivers in his respective Duel, his place in the Great American Race will be secured.
Rick Ware is someone who makes things happen. Hes a great guy who has been a generous friend in helping me get this vision of Stacking Pennies Performance off the ground, LaJoie said. Hes allowed me to put the No. 01 on his Ford Mustangs, building off the brand fans have related to, supported, and cheered for over the past several years. Im proud of what weve accomplished and excited for whats ahead, beginning at Daytona with DuraMAX and Take 5 Oil Change.
DuraMAX is thrilled to partner with Take 5 Oil Change and bring our combined passion for performance and speed to the iconic Daytona 500, said Dan Oehler, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for RelaDyne, parent company of DuraMAX. Having Corey LaJoie behind the wheel as both the driver of our branded car and a proud ambassador for DuraMAX strengthens our connection to the racing community. Coreys dedication and skill truly embody the values of our brand, and were excited to work with him in representing our commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction on and off the track.
At Take 5 Oil Change, were excited to team up with RelaDyne and Corey LaJoie and showcase our shared values of speed, reliability and excellence at the Daytona 500, said Mo Khalid, EVP and President of Take 5 Oil Change. Partnering with RelaDyne and Corey LaJoie is a natural fit, as this partnership represents the passion and performance we at Take 5 Oil Change strive to deliver every day. This collaboration highlights our commitment to innovation and our strengthened connection with our customers.
LaJoies make-it-or-break-it, all-in approach is nothing new. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has scraped and clawed for every opportunity throughout his racing career. His resiliency in a race car and ability to articulate what he sees from the drivers seat have made LaJoie an industry thought leader.
Prime Video, which debuts its five-race slate of NASCAR Cup Series broadcasts with the May 25 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, has tapped into LaJoies personality and punditry by making him an on-air analyst.
In many ways, my driving career has been more successful than I ever couldve dreamed, yet I lose sleep feeling I never reached my full potential behind the wheel, LaJoie said. The pursuit of bettering myself and others around me has never been more important than it is right now. My presence on the track will look different than it has in previous years, and its going to bring a new host of challenges, but my heart is set on making a lasting impact in the sport and the communities NASCAR reaches. Between Rick Ware, Prime Video, and the support of partners DuraMAX and Take 5 Oil Change, Im able to follow my heart.
Niece Reveals Three-Driver Lineup For No. 41 Truck

SALISBURY, N.C. Niece Motorsports will once again field four entries in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this season. The fourth, part-time entry, branded as the No. 41 Chevrolet Silverado RST, features a blend of youth and experience split among multiple drivers.
Bayley Currey will return as a driver for the No. 41 team. Currey, who has made 48 starts for the team since 2019, is coming off an 18th-place points finish following his first full-time opportunity in 2024.
Having gained experience in all three NASCAR national series, Currey is known for his consistency behind the wheel and mechanical knowledge.
The 29-year-old will open the season driving at Atlanta Motor Speedway, primarily backed by Masked Owl Technologies. Masked Owl largely supported Curreys efforts throughout 2024, and the company is eager to re-sign with the team for a second-consecutive season.
Im grateful to Al Niece and everyone at Masked Owl Technologies for continuing to believe in me and what we have going on the No. 41 team, Curry said. This year will be fun to work with other drivers as we share the same goal of improving every week.
Since we arent driving the whole year and points arent the main focus, I think that allows us the opportunity to try some different things to contend for wins. We are going to give it our best shot in every race.
Ross Chastain will compete in five Truck Series races in addition to his full-time NASCAR Cup Series role with Trackhouse Racings No. 1 Chevrolet.
Chastains schedule will see him compete in events at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Michigan Intl Speedway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Intl.
A five-time race winner, Chastain has been instrumental to Niece Motorsports success since 2018. Last year, the veteran delivered the team its ninth victory at Darlington Raceway.
Im looking forward to racing at all these tracks on my schedule this year, said Chastain. Its hard to believe that this will be the eighth year that Al Niece has put me in one of his trucks. Everyone at Niece Motorsports treats me like family when I show up, and I think thats a testament to what Al and Cody (Efaw) have built here in Salisbury.
Im also very thankful that Justin Marks and everyone at Trackhouse is on board with letting me compete in other series to stay sharp on Sundays. We had some good runs last year and know what to improve on to make this year even better, I feel like this team is as strong as ever now.
Rounding out the No. 41 driver lineup will be Matt Gould, son of Niece Motorsports winningest crew chief, Phil Gould.
Gould, 19, made his Truck Series debut at the Milwaukee Mile in Wisconsin in 2024 and later drove in one additional start at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Primarily a Late Model Stock competitor in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, Goulds schedule will be reveled at a later date.
Im very excited to get another opportunity to race in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports, said Gould. I feel like we were on track to have some good results last year in my first couple of starts before issues prohibited it. So this year, to have more opportunities ahead as I continue to learn will be great.
Ive known Ross for six years now; hes done so much for me, and Bayley and I are like brothers. So, its going to be awesome to work with them.
Currey, Chastain and Gould will work alongside full-time teammates, Matt Mills (No. 42), Christian Rose (No. 44) and Kaden Honeycutt (No. 45).
Competition personnel for the team will be revealed in the near future, along with additional partnership announcements.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. As seems to be the case every year now, it came down to the final hour of the Rolex 24 At Daytona or the final 24 minutes of that hour before the outcome was decided in all four classes of racing: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and GTD. And in the end only the LMP2 winner enjoyed anything like a comfortable margin of victory over its closest pursuer.
Sure, 14 full course yellows over the course of the race kept things close. But so evenly matched is the competition in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship that at least half a dozen cars (as well as the eventual winners) could have emerged victorious in the waning minutes of the race.
What did we learn?
Numbers Matter
Roger Penske once observed numbers matter at this place. While speaking about a different series and a different place, that philosophy held true at the Rolex 24 as the final hour ticked down when Porsche Penske Motorsport (PPM) alone among the GTP teams had two cars left at the front of the field. As a result, they played a canny strategy during a late full course yellow to keep some potential competitors from regaining the lead lap. Specifically, by pitting the Penske Porsche 963 in second at the time and leaving the lead Penske Porsche on track, they prevented competitors from getting a wave around the pace car.
We really used our two-car approach to make sure one of the PPM cars was controlling the pace of the race and controlling our own destiny, said PPM Managing Director Jonathan Diuguid, who also noted the two cars combined to lead 517 of 781 laps. I think that put us in position to win and cover all the bases and attacks from the Acuras and the BMWs and the Cadillacs of the world.
Fast forward to the closing stages of the race when Tom Blomqvist in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 fought it alone against the two Penske Porsches. Sure, there was a chance Porsche Penskes Felipe Nasr and Matt Campbell could have tangled while jousting for first place. And their intramural battle did enable Blomqvist to close to within striking distance; indeed, he ultimately demoted Campbell to third place with a few laps remaining. But by that time Nasr had made his escape and came home 1.335 seconds clear of the Acura.
Speaking of numbers mattering. The Vanthoor family enjoyed a rare, indeed possibly unprecedented, sweep of Rolex 24 glory with BMW M Team RLLs Dries Vanthoor capturing the pole while older brother Laurens took home a coveted Rolex Daytona timepiece along with PMM stablemates Nasr and Nick Tandy.
You can see how many laps a Vanthoor led, quipped the elder Vanthoor. Its special to see my younger brother up there Its quite unique and difficult to put into words, but I wouldnt want to be in the skin of our dad or mom because I think they sweated a bit watching TV.
Meanwhile Tandy became the first driver to win sports car racings Great 96, aka the Rolex 24, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Spa and the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring.
To get the big four 24-hour wins, said Tandy, one would be just an incredible career, so to get four and a few Sebrings and a few Petits (Le Mans) is dream come true stuff.
Life After GTP
No matter how well you understand that the competition in LMP2, GTD PRO and GTD classes is as fierce and professional as in the GTP class, to find yourself out of a GTP ride that has been yours for a few seasons cant be easy. But a bevy of ex-GTP drivers proved there is indeed life after GTP in this years Rolex 24.
Chief among them would be Sebastien Bourdais who teamed with John Farano, Sebastian Alvarez and Job Van Uitert to take the LMP2 win in the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA, the first Rolex 24 win for the 2022 WeatherTech Championship LMP2 championship team. That win gives Bourdais, who found himself on the outside looking in for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech Championship GTP season when Cadillac and Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) parted company (but who drives for Cadillac Hertz Team Jotas Hypercar effort in the World Endurance Championship), the distinction of having won the Rolex 24 Hours in two different prototype classes as well as in the old GT Le Mans class when he drove the CGR Ford GT.
Nor was Bourdais alone in showing theres life after GTP. Dane Cameron, not retained by PPM after teaming with Nasr to win the 2024 Rolex 24 and the 2024 WeatherTech Championship GTP championship, was very much in the mix for the LMP2 win in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA before a mechanical issue sidelined Spike in the final hour. Likewise, Connor De Phillippi was shifted to the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO after two seasons racing the BMW M Hybrid V8. Similar to Cameron, De Phillippi battled for a class win in this case GTD PRO before eventually coming home third.
Motown Celebration
The 2025 Rolex 24 was a good race for Motown; a very good race for Motown. After all, Chevrolet and Ford aficionados, employees and executives alike came away with much to celebrate given that the No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 captured the GTD PRO honors in the hands of Dennis Olsen, Frederic Vervisch and Christopher Mies while Matt Bell, Lars Kern, Marvin Kirchhoefer and Orey Fidani collected the GTD trophy in the No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
There was plenty to celebrate in the Ford Multimatic camp given that this was the Mustang GT3s first win in global competition after its troubled debut in last years Rolex 24. After a years worth of competition and development, not only did the Mustang run the 24 hours with nary a major mechanical issue, it also had the speed to take two of the three spots on the podium with the No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 finishing third.
We had to learn the hard way in the first race, which is one of the toughest races in the world, straightaway, Mies said. But there have been things in the background and also on the team side. I must say this is probably the biggest improvement compared to last year. It just feels like we made another good step in terms of preparation.
While Corvette Racing was denied a chance to vie for the GTD PRO win, AWA took home top honors in GTD. This gave Corvette a Rolex 24 trophy and also underlined the viability of the Corvette GT3 as a legitimate customer race car, not only a high-tech thoroughbred in need of factory support and expertise to function at a winning level. AWAs best finish in 2024 was fifth place at Road America, so the first podium achieved with the car was a big one.
There were trials and tribulations in the first part of (last) season, said Bell, but from the very get-go the silver lining was the thing was awesome to drive. So we knew the fundamental thing that you need in racing is pace.
You need a car that you can go and win with, and if youve got a hardworking group of people around it, if theres anything to fix, its going to get fixed. We knew from last year if we stayed on this train, theres going to be success coming.