Putting the Legacy of Jimmy Butler in Perspective
Ladies and gentlemen of the ALL-STAR trial court, I present for your inspection…Mr. Jimmy Butler III.
Some call him Jimmy Buckets. Others speculate that he’s the long-lost son of His Airness. Still, others label him a nuisance, a locker room headache, a playoff messiah.
In light of this, dear members of the court, we are here to talk about Mr. Butler’s complicated legacy.
I am well aware that he is still playing, thank you very much, but since the month of January is all about looking forward to the future, let’s tackle this question that will inevitably take on tremendous weight:
How will Jimmy Butler be remembered when he ultimately leaves his NBA career behind?
The Defense for Jimmy Butler
I now call in the witness for the defense—they shall go by the alias of Numbers.
What would Numbers like to present to this court? The facts are thus: six All-Star nods, one All-NBA Second Team and four Third Team selections, and five All-Defensive Second Team inclusions. Mr. Butler was named Most Improved Player in 2015, and though I recognize that theft is a criminal offense in other courts, may it please you to consider that he led the NBA in steals back in 2021.
Numbers would also like to point out that Mr. Butler won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in 2016. Whether or not this evidence is admissible in a trial concerning an NBA legacy is up to you, your honor.
(By the way, your honor—is that a hint of a smile on your face? A smirk, even?)
Finally, as per Numbers, Mr. Butler played an instrumental role in the Miami Heat’s 2020 and 2023 Finals runs. Though it is conceded that the team came up short of winning the championship, the valiant conquest of the Eastern Conference twice over and a couple of chances to play for the NBA title bear undeniable weight.
Thank you, Numbers. Please take a seat on the bench of Public Consciousness. And now…
The Prosecution against Jimmy Butler
Pardon the ruckus in our trial venue, ladies and gentlemen. The prosecutor is loud and, if I may say so myself, attention-grabbing. Henceforth, they shall be referred to as Shenanigans.
Apparently, Shenanigans have followed Mr. Butler throughout his NBA career. The evidence to be presented, therefore, will feature sights and sounds from the player’s four NBA stops thus far.
Exhibit A: Chicago
In Chicago, Mr. Butler spoke out against his head coach and his teammates. Back in 2015, he commented that the Bulls should be “coached a lot harder at times” by Mr. Fred Hoiberg, who was at the helm of the team at the time. Then, in 2017, Mr. Butler—alongside accomplice Dwyane “Flash” Wade—called out the younger players on the Bulls roster for allegedly exerting subpar effort on the court.
Exhibit B: Minnesota
Pardon the explicit language that is forthcoming, your honor. According to the testimony of one Jeff Teague, Mr. Butler skipped a number of days in the Timberwolves’ 2018 training camp. Upon his late arrival, Mr. Butler asked to play with third-stringers, with whom he proceeded to dominate the Wolves’ starting lineup in a scrimmage. During this practice game, Mr. Butler yelled to the Minnesota general manager, and I quote, “Y’all better m**********ng pay me!” Such coarse language, your honor.
Exhibit C: Philadelphia
In a March 2020 appearance on “The JJ Redick Podcast,” Mr. Butler made these claims about his time with the Sixers: “I didn’t know who the f**k was in charge. I think that was my biggest thing. I didn’t know what the f**k to expect whenever I would go into the gym, whenever I’d go into the plane, whenever I’d go into the game.” Again, his words and not mine, your honor.
Exhibit D: Miami
Just a year after leading the Heat to the 2023 NBA Finals, Mr. Butler failed to compete in Miami’s 2024 postseason run due to a sprained MCL. For reasons known only to himself, he commented that neither the Boston Celtics—who knocked off the Heat in the first round—nor the Celtics’ conference rival New York Knicks would have gone the distance if he had been playing. This prompted Heat president Pat Riley to say, in no uncertain terms, that Mr. Butler needed to keep his mouth shut.
READ: Imagine an NBA Finals With Oklahoma City and Cleveland
And now, we have arrived at the tumultuous 2024-2025 season in which the Heat front office has neither traded nor offered a contract extension to Mr. Butler, who has a player option coming up in 2025-2026. On January 2, Mr. Butler declared that he needed to rediscover his “joy” playing basketball and seemed unconvinced that he could do so in a Heat jersey.
To sum up, we have before us a supreme competitor who holds his teammates, his coaches, and—most importantly—himself to the highest standards of basketball. His conviction in upholding excellence has led to individual accolades, public altercations, and burned bridges—but, notably, no championships to date.
May it please you, along with everybody else who will lay eyes on account of this trial, to issue a verdict on the basis of your best basketball judgment.
The floor is yours, Judge Ganglani.
By the Numbers
14
The number of rebounds pulled down by Angel Reese on the opening day of Unrivaled, the new 3×3 league that operates during the WNBA offseason. After setting multiple WNBA rebounding records in 2024—including the highest single-season average at 13.1 boards per game—Reese showcased her tenacity in a fresh environment. League co-founders Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart must be ecstatic after finally getting this league off the ground. (Did I mention that it’s a full-court 3×3 league? Spell the word “stamina,” please.)
4
The number of imports that the San Miguel Beermen have fielded in the 2025 PBA Commissioner’s Cup. This past Saturday, Malik Pope suited up SMB to replace Jabari Narcis, whose inconsistent outside shooting compromised the spacing that June Mar Fajardo needs to operate in the paint. Before Pope and Narcis, Quincy Miller and Torren Jones had been brought in to reinforce the Beermen at this conference. The San Miguel braintrust will have to figure out something for the short term and the long term as the team (4-5) is in danger of missing the playoffs.
Tweet of the Week
Oo nga naman. Tell ‘em, SJ.