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Wild Jimmy Butler stories will make you appreciate him that much more
While Jimmy Butler is enjoying one of his best seasons in the NBA leading the Miami Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals, things weren’t always this smooth-sailing for him.
He is no stranger to adversity. Butler never knew his father growing up and was kicked out of his home at the age of 13 by his biological mother.
Jimmy ended up bouncing from couch to couch until he met Jordan Leslie, a former NFL wide receiver whose mother took him in her home just before his senior year in high school.
Butler then went from a two-star recruit that was ranked 73rd in his position in the state of Texas to playing at a junior college and eventually starring at Marquette University.
Against all odds, In the 2011 NBA Draft, he was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the last pick of the first round. His game grew from a defensive stopper to an all-around star. He’s won the NBA’s Most Improved Award, he’s a 5-time all-star and an Olympic gold medalist.
His work ethic is regarded as one of the best in the league. Mix that with the fact that he is also one of the NBA’s best personalities and what you get is some of the wildest stories of the past few years.
Here are some of the best.
Butler Bullies Entire Timberwolves Organization
While waiting for the Timberwolves to fulfill his trade request, Butler spent an entire practice verbally challenging anyone and everyone who had a role to play in the organization. He specifically told General Manager Scott Layden, “You can’t win without me. You fucking need me.”
Butler also came at coach Tom Thibodeau and former teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins for not working hard enough and their nonchalant attitudes.
An even crazier part of this story is that Butler scrimmaged against the Wolves starters with a team of third-stringers and completely dominated the starters. He made it a point to go at Towns and Wiggins.
Jimmy Butler’s Late-Night Dribbling Draws Complaints
Jimmy Butler doesn’t reach the level of success he’s had without his insane work ethic. One example of this came at the start of the NBA Bubble while players were still in quarantine.
Security was alerted to a loud thumping noise coming from the Miami Heat Hotel. The security went to investigate the noise and found the room where the noise was coming from. It was Jimmy Butler’s room.
They knocked on the door and Butler opened it drenched in sweat with practice gear on from head to toe. Butler had been doing a full-on dribble workout in his hotel room.
Jimmy Butler Is All Business
While many NBA players were relieved to have family finally be able to join them in the Bubble, Jimmy Butler chose not to invite anyone to join him.
“This is a business trip for me. I’m not messing around.”
Butler’s only focus is on winning a championship.
Jimmy Butler’s First Practice With The Miami Heat
Butler’s legendary work ethic is once again evident in this story about his very first training camp practice with the Heat. Practice was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Butler showed up at 3:30 a.m.
“Just a little extra work while y’all in your third dream. I like to get it in.”
His work ethic has also inspired other Heat players to try and beat him to the gym. Meyers Leonard and Bam Adebayo both got up and were at the gym at 3:30 a.m.
Butler also reportedly spent the offseason doing 4 a.m. workouts at the American Airlines Arena.
Don’t Disrespect Country Music In Front of Butler
Jimmy Butler’s love of country music is well known. He is a proud Taylor Swift fan and is not afraid to claim it.
In this story, after a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Karl-Anthony Towns was being interviewed while Butler blasted country song “Grave” by Thomas Rhett.
Towns commented on the song saying “It’s terrible. It’s so bad.”
Jimmy clapped back by saying “I just had to chase Russ (Westbrook) around and get hit by Steven Adams, I can listen to whatever the fuck music I want.”
Can’t argue with that.
Jimmy Butler Voted Team USA’s Best Lover
Jimmy Butler won an Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It just so happens that this was not the only “award” Butler won that summer.
According to this Reddit post, Butler along with several members of Team USA including DeAndre Jordan, DeMar Derozan and DeMarcus Cousins, went to a luxury Brazilian brothel where they spent hours. The women at this brothel reportedly voted Butler as the best lover of the bunch.