There are many sides to Jimmy Butler.
The Bulls organization has seen them all.
Saturday, it was “Humble Jimmy, from Tomball, Tex.’’
“Yeah, of course,’’ Butler said, when asked if he would ever want to come back and play for the Bulls. “Like, come on. This is Chicago. This is home for me for a long time, still is home for me now. It’s a definite possibility – maybe toward the end of my career. Who knows? We’ll find out when that time gets here.’’
Very unlikely, but who knows?
What was known – and a painful one at that – even after three years, Butler is a reminder of a Bulls rebuild gone wrong.
Since being the last pick of the first round in the 2011 NBA Draft, all Butler did was what an organization dreams about for a player selected in that spot. Butler worked hard, became an elite defender, turned himself into a scorer, and finally has emerged as a late-game assassin come winning time.
His reward from the Bulls was Butler letting the organization know he wanted to re-sign at the max, recruit his butt off, and build a championship-caliber team.
Instead, the Bulls traded him while he was in Europe in that 2017 offseason, acquiring Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and the draft rights to Lauri Markkanen.
Butler got the Bulls in the playoffs in his final season, led the Minnesota Timberwolves to their first playoff appearance in 13 seasons, was the face of the 76ers playoff run last season, and has guided a young, up-and-coming Heat team to the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race with the league hitting the All-Star Weekend.
And while he’s moved on from his Bulls days, he still has a home in Chicago and still makes his strong feelings about the city very public.
“I got a lot of love for this city, and I’m so fortunate that this city still has a lot of love for me,’’ Butler said.
So does Miami.
Butler and the Heat are the perfect match. A championship pedigree, based on hard work, and when you’re tired, more hard work. That’s the culture. From the man in charge of basketball operations in Pat Riley to coach Erik Spoelstra. A no-excuse, get-it-done, foxhole bunch of guys. They draft well, develop well, and recruit well.
Basically, the anti-Bulls.
“It just goes to show the Heat are great at bringing in guys that can get stuff done,’’ Butler said of all the Heat players represented at the All-Star Weekend. “Guys that are overlooked, that work incredibly hard, and try and perfect their craft.’’
So what has Butler brought to the equation?
“Not [bleep],’’ Butler responded. “I think that culture was already there. It just fit me. They brought me there. The culture was going to stay the same with or without me.’’
Butler said Riley was a big reason why.
“He’s straight to the point, direct, involved in everything and I love it,’’ Butler said. “It shows that he cares and he wants to win, and he wants to win now. You know, none of this is guaranteed. And we’re trying to make it happen.”
And what are the Bulls trying to make happen?
“I don’t know, is that the goal or the point of a rebuild?’’ Butler said, when asked if he was surprised the Bulls are still struggling in Year 3 of this plan. “I would think so, but you know what, I got faith in management here. They have to know what they’re doing. I think their decision was right for them. I’ll continue to wish them the best. I think they got some really great young talent. They’ll figure it out. They got nothing but time.’’
