Jimmy Butler is one of the few real ones in the NBA. That dude cares and gives it his all every game. Butler doesn’t just have a chip on his shoulder, he wants to win more than you. Butler will also call anyone out who he doesn’t think is a winning player. Butler has been called a locker room cancer by a lot of people. All of those people owe Butler an apology. All 30 teams would be lucky to have a player like Jimmy Butler.
First people criticized Butler for ruining the Timberwolves. Have you seen what they look like without him? Minnesota hasn’t won a game since November and currently have a record of 15-35. Karl-Anthony Towns doesn’t have an ounce of heart in him. Neither does Andrew Wiggins. Butler got this team to the playoffs and wanted out. He knew Towns, Wiggins, and the rest of the T-Wolves didn’t have it. He was right.
Butler was then traded to Philly. He got the most he could out of the 76ers. They were within an eyelash of beating the eventual champion Raptors in the 2nd round. People called Butler crazy for leaving Philly for Miami. Guess what? He was right again. The 76ers are a dysfunctional mess and a 6th seed in the East. The Miami Heat are a real contender before anyway every could have guessed.
The Miami Heat were lost without LeBron. Then Pat Riley made matters worse and clogged the team with horrible contracts. Butler is the first cornerstone Miami has had since that dynamic Heat team with Wade, LeBron, and Bosh.
Butler has been fantastic in Miami. He’s turned the culture back around. Butler is averaging 20.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. More importantly, he has let his teammates shine. Bam Adebayo looks like a new man. He’s taken young guns like Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, and Kendrick Nunn under his wing and made them into instant contributors. Nobody thought Miami was real. Jimmy Butler is the man behind the machine.
The narrative on Jimmy Butler is wrong. He’s the furthest thing from a cancer. He’s just one of the few guys in the league who has heart. He knew KAT didn’t have it. He knew that 76ers team would be a mess without him. He took a chance on Miami who had some young talent, nice weather, and an organization with a winning past. So far it’s working. Let’s just remember to give Butler some credit.
