Jimmy Butler is in the news again for his comments after the Miami Heat lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday evening. The six-time All-Star, whose goal is to lead Miami to history against the top-seeded Denver Nuggets, gave some words of encouragement when a reporter asked him what went wrong during the game, Si.com reported.
“I don’t know, I can’t answer that. Maybe, we’re at home. We think we did something. I don’t know. It just can’t happen. It won’t happen again, and it starts with myself. I gotta lock in on the defensive end. I gotta go up and get loose balls, so I think if I start playing and doing that, then everybody else has to follow suit,” the 33-year-old said.
This is Butler’s fourth season playing for the Heat, who have made the NBA Playoffs every year. From being with the Chicago Bulls for his first six seasons and being traded to the Timberwolves and now in Miami, here are four things you should know about Butler who is hoping to make a huge impact during the 2023 NBA Finals.
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He was homeless
Born on September 14, 1989, in Houston, Texas, Butler’s father abandoned the family and so Butler was raised by his single mother. But when he was 13, his mother sacked him from the house and Butler was compelled to live with friends. “I don’t like the look of you. You gotta go,” his mom said before kicking him out.
Besides living with friends, Butler also spent time in foster care, being moved from one home to another until he was a senior in high school. The Leslie family took him in and treated him as if he was their own family. Butler attended Tomball High School in Texas and began college at Tyler Junior College in 2007, where NBC Sports Chicago said he averaged 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Butler then earned an athletic scholarship that transferred him to Marquette as a sophomore. He was there until 2011 when he graduated.
NBA team which drafted Butler
The Chicago Bulls drafted Butler with the last pick of the first round (No. 30 overall) in the 2011 draft. NBC Sports Chicago says he remained in the Windy City until 2017 before spending a year in Minnesota (2017 to 18) and another year in Philadelphia (2018 to 19). In 2019, he opted for Miami and has been there since.
His MVPs
Even though Butler has never won the league MVP in the NBA, he does have a lot of titles including 2015 Most Improved Player, one All-NBA Second Team, four All-NBA Third Teams, six All-Star nods, and five All-Defensive Second Teams.
Not too long ago, the Miami Heat star won Eastern Conference Finals MVP for his performances in the 4-3 win vs. the Boston Celtics.
His salary
Butler, who has filed a trademark for the phrase “HIMMY BUCKETS”, is on a three-year contract with Miami worth $146 million, according to NBC Sports Chicago. In the 2022-23 season, Butler’s salary is a little above $37 million, and this number may rise to about $45 million for the 2023-24 campaign.
