Jimmy butler's story and achievements

Miami Heat #22

Position: Small Forward

2021-2022 Season Stats

Salary: $37,653,300

PTS

21.4

REB

5.9

AST

5.5

PER

23.65

Jimmy Butler III was born on Sept. 14, 1989 is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Miami of the National Basketball Association. Nicknamed “Jimmy Buckets”, he was a six-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA, five-time All-Defensive, Olympic Gold Medalist, and was in 2016. He played college basketball for 1 year at Taylor Junior College, then transferred to University of Marquette.

Butler was selected by the Bulls with the 30th overall pick in the NBA Draft 2011. He was named in 2015, the NBA Most Improved Player. After 6 seasons in Chicago, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in June 2017. Butler was traded again to the Philadelphia 76ers in November 2018. In Jul. 2019, he signed with the Heat. In his 1st season with the team, He reached the NBA Finals. He led the league in steals in 2021.

Jimmy Butler Early life and high school career

Butler was born in Houston on Sept. 14, 1989. When Butler was an infant, his father abandoned the family. When he was 13 in Tomball, a suburb of Houston, his mother kicked him out of the house. As Butler recalled in a 2011 interview, she told him, “I don’t like the way you look. You have to go.” He then shuttled back and 4th between the houses of various friends, staying for weeks at a time, and then moved to another house. Still, Butler maintained a close relationship with his parents, saying: “I don’t hold grudges. I still talk to my family. My mom. My dad. We love each other. It’s never going to be changed.”

During a summer basketball league before his senior year at Tomball High School, he was noticed by the school’s first-year football and basketball player Jordan Leslie, who launched a 3-point game at him. The two became friends immediately, and Butler began living at Leslie’s. Although his friend’s mother and stepfather (with six other children between them) were initially reluctant, they took him in within a few months. Butler later said, “They accepted me into their family. It wasn’t because of basketball. She (Michelle Lambert, Leslie’s mother) was very loving. She just did that. I just don’t. Believe it.”

As a junior at Tomball High School, Butler averaged 10 points per game. As a senior and captain in 2006-07, Butler averaged 19.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game before being named the team’s most valuable player.

Butler didn’t get heavily recruited after high school, opting instead to attend Taylor Junior College in Taylor, Texas.

Career in College

After Taylor’s freshman season, where he averaged 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, Butler became interested in Division I programs. Recognized as a 2-star recruit by 247Sports.com, he was listed as the No. 127 junior college prospect in 2008.

Butler accepted an athletic scholarship to Marquette and averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 76.8 percent from the free-throw line as a sophomore in the 2008-09 season. In the 2009-10 season, he entered the starting lineup as a junior, averaging 14.7 points and 6.4 rebounds, and won the All-Big East Honorable Mention. His season was won in two games against Connecticut and St. John’s, helping Marquette to an 11-7 finish in the Big East and his fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. As a senior in 2010-2011, he averaged 15.7 points per game and earned the All-Big East Honorable Mention for the 2nd year in a row.

Professional career

Chicago Bulls (2011–2017)

Early Years and First All-Defensive Picks

Butler was selected by the Bulls with the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He saw limited opportunities in his rookie season, playing 42 games in the lockout-shortened 2011-2012 season. The following season, Butler played all 82 games for the Chicago Bulls. After limited playing time at the start of the 2012-13 season, he played a lot in the 2nd half of the season, including starting all 12 playoff games. He scored a then career high 28 points against the Toronto Raptors on April 9. Two days later, he recorded his 1st NBA double-double with 22 points and a then career-high 14 rebounds against the New York Knicks.

In 2013-14, Butler missed 15 games due to injury, limiting him to 67. He averaged a career-high 38.7 mins per game, the most in the NBA. He scored a season-high 26 points on Dec. 30 against the Memphis Grizzlies. He set a franchise record with 21 points, seven rebounds, and six rebounds in 60:20 in a three-overtime game against the Orlando Magic on Jan. 15. assist. At the end of the game season, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

Most Improved Player and First All-Star Pick (2014-2016)

On November 25, 2014, Butler tied a career-high with 32 points in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. On December 3, 2014, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the October/November game. Later, he scored a career-high 35 pts in a 103-97 victory over the New York Knicks on Dec. 18. On January 29, 2015, Butler has named a backup in the Eastern Conference during the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. On Mar. 2, 2015, he was ruled out for three to six weeks with a left elbow injury. He returned on March 23 against the Charlotte Hornets, finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds in a 98-86 game.

On April 20, Butler set a career-high for the second straight playoff game, scoring 31 points in the Bulls’ 91-82 win over the Bucks to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round series. On April 25, Butler scored another playoff career high with 33 points in the Bulls’ 92-90 loss to the Bucks, cutting the series lead to 3-2. They went on to victory Game 6 of the series, taking them to the semifinals, where they lost 4-2 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. On May 7, he was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2014-15 season, becoming the 1st player in franchise history to receive the award.

On July 9, 2015, Butler signed a five-year, $95 million contract with the Bulls. The deal includes a fifth-year player option. On Dec. 9, he scored a career-high 36 points in a loss to the Boston Celtics. He scored 43 points in a 147-144 quadruple overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 18. Butler broke Michael Jordan’s halftime scoring record on Jan. 3, scoring 40 of his 42 points after halftime to lead the Bulls to a 115-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Two days later, he had 32 points and a season-high 10 assists in a 117-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. On Jan. 14, he scored a career-high 53 points in a 115-111 overtime victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Butler also had 10 rebounds and 6 assists while making 15 of 30 shots and 21 of his 25 free throws to help the Bulls end their three-game losing streak. He became the 1st Bulls player to score 50 pts since Jamal Crawford in 2004. On Feb. 5, Butler suffered a left knee strain in the game against the Denver Nuggets and was sidelined for nearly four weeks. He was being selected to the NBA All-Star Game in 2016, but injuries forced him to retire, and he was replaced in the East by teammate Pau Gasol. Butler missed 11 games with a knee injury and returned on March 5 for the Bulls against the Houston Rockets. In 34 minutes of the game, he had 24 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal to help the Bulls win 108-100 and help the Bulls end their four-game losing streak. However, he returned to the sidelines for the team’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 7 due to a sore back and a swollen left knee. After missing three games, he returned on March 14 against the Toronto Raptors. On Apr. 2, he recorded his first career triple-double with 28 points and a career-high 17 rebounds & 12 assists in a 94-90 loss to the Detroit. In the Bulls’ season finale on Apr. 13, Butler recorded his 2nd career triple-double with 10 pts, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 115-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

First All-NBA Picks (2016–2017)

In the Bulls’ season opener on Oct. 27, Butler scored a team-high 24 points in a 105-99 victory over the Boston Celtics. On Nov. 9, he scored 39 points in a 115-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Three days later, he had 37 pts, hit all 14 free throws, grabbed 8 rebounds, and dished out a season-high 9 assists in a 106-95 victory over the Washington Wizards. On Nov. 20, he scored a season-high 40 points in a 118-110 victory over the LA Lakers. The following day, Butler was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the Monday, Nov. 14-Sunday, Nov. 20 game. On Dec. 28, he tied a season-high with 40 points and hit a 20-foot buzzer-beater in a 101-99 Bulls comeback win over the Brooklyn. Butler scored 9 points in the final 21⁄2 mins to help Chicago regroup. He went 11-for-11 from the free throw line and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Bulls overcame a 7 point deficit in the final three mins.

On January 2, 2017, Butler scored 52 pts in a 118-111 win over the Charlotte Hornets. He was one point shy of his career-high on Jan. 14, 2016, with 20 in the first half and 17 in the final four minutes of the game. He also had 12 rebounds and 6 assists while shooting 21 of 22 from the free throw line. He reached 40 points for the third time in six games on Jan. 7, scoring 42 in an overtime 123-118 victory over the Toronto Raptors. 2 days later, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the game Monday, Jan. 2-Sunday, Jan. 8. On January 19, Butler was named the starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. After questioning the will of the team’s young players following the Jan. 25 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Butler was fined and left out of the starting lineup against the Miami Heat on Jan. 27. He then went on to score just 3 points on 1-for-13 shooting. On Feb. 25, 2017, he recorded his third career triple-double with 18 points, ten rebounds, and ten assists in a 117-99 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. On March 26, 2017, he had 20 pts and a career-high 14 assists in a 109-94 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. On April 6, 2017, he recorded his 4th career triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 102-90 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2017–2018)

On June 22, 2017, Butler was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the rights to Justin Barton (16th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft) in exchange for Zach LaVine, Chris Dunn, and Lauri Marr Kanin (No. 7 pick) in the 2017 NBA Draft). In the season opener on Oct. 18, Butler scored 12 points in his Timberwolves debut in a 107-99 loss over the San Antonio Spurs. On Dec. 3, he scored 20 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves’ 112-106 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. On Dec. 12, he scored 38 points in a 118-112 overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. On Dec. 18, he scored 37 points in a 108-107 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Butler scored 12 points in Minnesota’s 14-point overtime on Dec. 27 and finished with a season-high 39 points in a 128-125 victory over the Denver Nuggets. On January 23, he was selected to the Western Conference All-Star Reserve. On February 9, Butler scored 38 points on his return to Chicago in a 114-113 loss to the Bulls. Butler chose not to play in the All-Star Game, prioritizing a playoff for the season and thinking the rest of the game would be in his favor. However, in the Timberwolves’ 1st game after the All-Star break, on Feb. 23 against the Houston Rockets, Butler left with a right knee injury late in the third quarter. Two days later, he undergo meniscus surgery and was ruled out indefinitely. Butler returned to action on April 6, scoring 18 points in a 113-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Butler made four 3-pointers of his 28 points in a 121-105 win in Game 3 of the Timberwolves’ 1st round playoff series against the Rockets. The Timberwolves lost the series in five games.

Shortly before training camp in 2018, Butler made a trade request to the Timberwolves, saying he would not re-sign with his team in the offseason 2019. Butler opted to play for Minnesota in 2018-2019 when no deal was struck before the regular season began. He appeared in ten of the Timberwolves’ first 13 games before being traded in the month of November.

Philadelphia 76ers (2018–2019)

On November 12, 2018, Butler was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers along with Justin Barton for Jared Bayless, Robert Covington, Dario Šarić and a 2022 second-rounder pick. He made his Sixers debut two days later, scoring 14 points in a 111-106 loss to the Orlando Magic. On Nov. 25, he had 34 points and 12 rebounds and hit a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left in the 76ers’ 127-125 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. On Dec. 5, he scored a season-high 38 points in a 113-102 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Two days later, he scored 38 points for the second straight game in a 117-111 victory over the Detroit Pistons. On Jan. 29, Butler turned point guard and had 20 points and six assists in a 121-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. In the 76ers’ 1st round playoff game against the Nets, Butler scored a game-high 36 pts in a 111-102 loss. In Game 2 of the 2nd round, Butler had 30 pts and 11 rebounds to help the 76ers tie the series to a 1-1 tie with the Raptors 94-89. In Game 6, he scored 25 pts in a 112-101 run to help the 76ers tie the Raptors 3-3. The 76ers lost 92-90 in Game 7 despite Butler’s 16 points.

Miami Heat (2019–present)

Finals appearance (2019–2020)

On July 6, 2019, Butler signed a contract with the Miami Heat and made a four-team trade with the 76ers. On Dec. 9, Butler was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week with averages of 27.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists. On December 10, Butler had a career-high 18 rebounds and 20 points, and 11 assists in a 135-121 overtime win against the Hawks. On Jan. 30, 2020, Butler was named to his fifth NBA All-Star Game. On Feb. 3, Butler scored a season-high 38 points on 14-of-20 shooting as the Heat defeated his old club, the Philadelphia 76ers, 137-106.

On Aug. 31, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Butler defeated the No. 1 seed, Milwaukee Bucks, 115-104 and scored a career-high 40 points in the playoffs on 13 of 20 shots. On September 8, the Heat completed the upset by advancing to the next round after winning Game 5. The Heat reached the NBA Finals after beating the Boston Celtics in six games in the Eastern Conference finals, and Butler earned Butler his first Finals appearance. In Game 3 of the NBA Finals 2020, Butler finished with 40 pts, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists, becoming only the 3rd player in Finals history to record a triple-double of 40 or more. Played for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1969 with LeBron James (then in Cleveland) and Jerry West in 2015. Butler also became the first player to surpass James in points, rebounds, and assists in a Finals game, with James having 25 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. In Game 5, Butler scored 35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and 5 steals, becoming the first player to score 35+10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 5 steals in the finals. He is also the second player in NBA playoff history to reach such a statistic after Gary Payton in 2000. Butler became the 2nd player to record multiple 30-point triple-doubles in the same Finals series, joining James in 2015. He became the sixth player to have multiple triple-doubles in a Finals series alongside James, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, & Draymond Green. The Heat struggled in six games against the Los Angeles Lakers. Butler, who joined James in 2016, became the second player in a Finals series to lead the team in pts, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

First-round exit (2020–2021)

On Feb. 11, 2021, Butler recorded his 10th career triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Heat’s 101-94 victory over the Houston Rockets. On February 18, Butler recorded his 13th career triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 118-110 victory over the Sacramento Kings, becoming the first player in franchise history to record a triple-double in a row. Along with teammate Bam Adebayo, who had 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, they became the first pair in league history to record more than one triple-double in the same game. In the playoffs, the Heat was swept in four games by the Milwaukee Bucks, who would go on to win the NBA Finals. In Game 4, Butler had his third career postseason triple-double.

Eastern Conference Finals (2021–2022)

On August 7, 2021, Butler signed a four-year, $184 million extension with the Heat. On Dec. 28, he had 25 points, eight rebounds, and a career-high 15 assists in a 119-112 loss to the Washington Wizards. On January 23, 2022, in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James, Butler surpassed James to become the Heat’s all-time triple-double leader. On Feb. 3, Butler named a backup for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, his sixth career All-Star selection. On April 17, in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, he had 21 pts, 4 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals in a 115-91 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Two days later, in a 115-105 victory in Game 2, he had a career-high 45 points and five rebounds, five assists, and zero turnovers in the playoffs at the time. Butler became the third player in franchise history to have at least 45 points, five assists, and five rebounds in the playoffs, behind only James and Dwyane Wade. He also became the 5th player since 1978 to score at least 45 points and zero turnovers in the NBA playoffs. In Game 4 of the series on Apr. 24, Butler had 36 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, four steals and 0 turnovers in a 110-86 victory. On May 8, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Butler scored 40 points on 13-of-20 shooting in a 116-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

On May 17, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Butler had 41 points (27 in the second half), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks in a 118-107 victory over the Boston Celtics people team. He became the 1st player in NBA playoff history to hit all of those benchmarks since first recording steals and blocks in 1974. Butler has 40 points on 60 percent shooting and is tied with Charles Barkley for third in the last 30 playoff games. The only players with more games are James (12) and Shaquille O’Neal (8). Butler also made the most 40/5/5 playoff games in Heat history with 3 games, one more than James and Wade. On May 21, Jimmy Butler injured his right knee and did not play in the 2nd half of Game 3. The Miami Heat went on to victory the game 109-103 and lead 2-1. In 6th Game of the series on May 27, Butler had a playoff career-high 47 pts, 9 rebounds, eight assists, and four steals to lead the Heat to a 111-103 victory and force a 111-103 victory. 7 games. He shot 16-for-29 from the field, including 4-for-8 from 3-point range and all 11 free throws. Butler’s 47 points rank seventh in NBA history by a player facing elimination. He also became the 1st player since Michael Jordan in 1988 to score at least 40 points and four steals in multiple games in the same series. In a decisive Game 7, the Heat were eliminated despite Butler scoring 35 points and nine rebounds, including 24 in the first half. He missed a 3-pointer with 16 secs left in the fourth quarter to end the Heat 100-96 loss. Butler scored his eighth 30-point playoff game, the most points a Heat player has scored in a playoff game since James in 2013 (James also had eight).

Miami Heat