Jimmy Butler Era

Lore & Background

Butler played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles before being selected by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft with the 30th overall pick. In 2015, he was named the NBA Most Improved Player. After six seasons in Chicago, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in June 2017, and was then again traded in November 2018, this time to the Philadelphia 76ers. In July 2019, he signed with the Miami Heat. During his first season with the team, Butler reached the NBA Finals. In 2021, he led the league in steals. In 2023, Butler and the eighth-seeded Heat played in the 2023 NBA Finals, their second appearance in four years. As of the 2023-24 season, Butler remains a cornerstone of the Heat franchise, with no trade having occurred.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights hummed low as the practice session dragged past midnight. Sweat dripped from Jimmy's brow onto the hardwood, marking another rep of defensive slides. No crowd watched, only the echo of squeaking sneakers against polished wood. He grabbed a rebound, dribbled once, and shot. Swish. He didn't celebrate; he just turned back to the line. The work wasn't done until the lights went out.

Reader's Guide

Butler was born in Houston on September 14, 1989. His father, Jimmy Butler Jr., left the family when Butler was an infant. Butler lived with his mother in the Houston suburb of Tomball, until she kicked him out of the house when he was 13 years old. He moved between the homes of various friends. In a summer basketball league before his senior year at Tomball High School, he was noticed by Jordan Leslie, a freshman football and basketball player at the school, who challenged him to a three-point shooting contest. The two became friends, and Butler stayed at Leslie's house for a few months. As a senior and team captain in 2006–07, Butler averaged 19.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and was subsequently voted his team's most valuable player. Butler was not recruited coming out of high school and chose to attend Tyler Junior College. After his freshman season at Tyler Junior College, where he had averaged 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, Butler accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Marquette University. As a senior in 2010–11, he averaged 15.7 points per game and received All-Big East Honorable Mention for the second straight year.

Did You Know?

• Butler was selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls.
• He was named the 2014–15 NBA Most Improved Player, the first player in Bulls franchise history to win the award.
• Butler scored a career-high 53 points in a 115–111 overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers on January 14, 2016.
• He recorded his first career triple-double on April 2, 2016, with 28 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists against the Detroit Pistons.
• Butler led the league in steals in 2021.