During his introductory press conference for newly installed head coach Mark Daigneault, Sam Presti made light of the fact that Chris Paul is one of the busiest men involved with the NBA, even busier than many of the league’s team executives.
Despite that, Paul found the time to show some love to 14-year NBA veteran Caron Butler for landing a job as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat. The news was first reported by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.
Butler was drafted by the Miami Heat in 2002 and was involved in the trade that saw the Lakers send Shaquille O’Neal to South Beach to team up with Dwyane Wade. Butler would go on to have a productive 14-year career in which he made two All-Star appearances and won an NBA Championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
Paul and Butler were teammates for two seasons as members of the Los Angeles Clippers from 2011-13. Butler, who also played for the Thunder during the 2013-14 season, retired following the 2015-16 season, in which he played for the Sacramento Kings.
To acknowledge his buddy’s rise, Paul posted a short acknowledgement on his Instagram account.
For most NBA players, the goal after their playing careers ends is to end up on a bench as an assistant coach. Four years after he left the game, Butler accomplished that goal.
Obviously, Paul thought it was worth celebrating.
