Jimmy Butler

[fjm]

This guy. What a legend. I know there are some timberwolves fans on here but wow.

Please read this twitter thread:
https://twitter.com/i/moments/1050101765478088705

Especially these tweets:

@Thehoopcentral
Jimmy Butler reportedly teamed up the 3rd stringers and beat the starters featuring KAT and Wiggins in a scrimmage at practice today, per @DarthAmin.

@thehoopcentral
During Practice, Jimmy Butler screamed at GM Scott Layden,
➖➖➖
"You f—king need me. You can't win without me."

(Via Woj).

Adrian Wojnarowski
Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn
At one point in a scrimmage, sources said, Butler turned to GM Scott Layden and screamed, "You (bleeping) need me. You can't win without me." Butler left teammates and coaches largely speechless. He dominated the gym in every way. Jimmy's back.
2:14 PM · Oct 10, 2018

#MUBB in the NBA is back baby!

[wadesworld]

Sounds like the kind of guy I want to play next to.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Really dont like a$$hole JFB.

[Newsdreams]

Well he wants them to trade him and showed them why.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

What a perfect mess.

As a wolves fan, I just hope they keep him at this point. This is kind of fun!

[CTWarrior]

Well he wants them to trade him and showed them why.

How does playing well in practice and berating everybody show them why they should trade him?  Every time he does something like this it makes him harder to trade, IMHO, for two reasons.

1. Some teams/coaches may not want to take on a prima donna.
2. They know the Wolves have to get rid of them so they may lower their offers, making the Wolves less inclined to trade.

I suspect JFB knows what he's doing, but he's hurting his appeal to the "get off my lawn" old guys (of which I am one), which doesn't amount to a hill of beans, I would guess.

[Mr. Nielsen]

 
https://twitter.com/DavePasch/status/1050108437873405952

[Pakuni]

Really dont like a$$hole JFB.

I love a$$hole JFB.

[TallTitan34]

Motivator.


Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn
A lot of Minnesota players left Timberwolves practice today energized by Butler's performance, mesmerized with him taking end-of-the-bench players and running the table on the regulars, sources said. At the end, he marched out like if a mic drop. Butler delivered a tour de force.

[GooooMarquette]

https://twitter.com/DavePasch/status/1050108437873405952

It would be awesome if Pasch did that. And the thing about Walton is that he wouldn’t miss a beat, and they’d turn it into the most entertaining back and forth since Al and Billy.

[skianth16]

I used to love Jimmy, but as he's improved on the court, he's become worse off the court, in my opinion.  He's become too selfish and too ego-driven. He's got a great story and has really proven a lot in his career, but he's just becoming another prima donna superstar. Worse yet, he doesn't seem to be much of a clubhouse leader. I don't think he's doing himself any favors with these antics right now.

[Galway Eagle]

First, if DJO is still in MN I hope he was on that Butler team. It'd be quite the hustle if they did as that's not exactly strangers.

Second, usually I'd hate antics like this but there's other reports of those MN players not wanting to put in the extra work.

[Billy Hoyle]

I used to love Jimmy, but as he's improved on the court, he's become worse off the court, in my opinion.  He's become too selfish and too ego-driven. He's got a great story and has really proven a lot in his career, but he's just becoming another prima donna superstar. Worse yet, he doesn't seem to be much of a clubhouse leader. I don't think he's doing himself any favors with these antics right now.

Total diva, selfish, obnoxious. Oh, and the KAT incident happened. 

I hope the Wolves say "play for us or sit."

[barfolomew]

Oh, and the KAT incident happened. 

Pix or it didn't.

[GooooMarquette]

Schooling the starters with a bunch of bench guys is epic.

Shouting obnoxious expletives at the owner isn’t.

[GGGG]

I used to love Jimmy, but as he's improved on the court, he's become worse off the court, in my opinion.  He's become too selfish and too ego-driven. He's got a great story and has really proven a lot in his career, but he's just becoming another prima donna superstar. Worse yet, he doesn't seem to be much of a clubhouse leader. I don't think he's doing himself any favors with these antics right now.

I have zero idea why anyone would think what he just apparently did would be viewed as selfish or being a prima donna.  Or frankly why it’s even an pretty boy move. He proved his value. Showed why working hard means something. And he lead by example.

[Newsdreams]

How does playing well in practice and berating everybody show them why they should trade him?  Every time he does something like this it makes him harder to trade, IMHO, for two reasons.

1. Some teams/coaches may not want to take on a prima donna.
2. They know the Wolves have to get rid of them so they may lower their offers, making the Wolves less inclined to trade.

I suspect JFB knows what he's doing, but he's hurting his appeal to the "get off my lawn" old guys (of which I am one), which doesn't amount to a hill of beans, I would guess.

Because his main reason is that the star players don't go all out. He proved his point.

[mu03eng]

I f$#%ing love a$$hole JFB. I would run through a brick wall for that dude and anyone who's played competitive team sports who wants to win should too. This is what culture change looks like

The only downside is if he has to stay on the team for this season but that was the likely outcome anyway so there isn't downside, its win-win-win.....

Win if it forces KAT to hold himself to be accountable instead of a waste of talent

Win if KAT and Wiggins et al dont change because it proves his point

Win because the Wolves dont want him now so the asking price goes down but I guarantee players like Wade are telling Riley/spoelstra "pull the trigger this guy will work" (they didn't use to be boys but patched things up in the last few years and are tight). His value to the Wolves is down but his value to other teams doesn't change.

JFB is gonna win big out of this

[Pakuni]

I have zero idea why anyone would think what he just apparently did would be viewed as selfish or being a prima donna.  Or frankly why it’s even an pretty boy move. He proved his value. Showed why working hard means something. And he lead by example.

There's a general knee-jerk dislike for any player who demands a trade, which I can sort of understand (don't agree, but understand).
But the rest I don't get. Has Jimmy gotten cocky as his star has risen? Heck yeah. All great athletes are cocky. Some are just better at pretending they're not because it appeases the meatheads who call talk radio saying "I'd play this game for free"or "Nobody deserves (insert number here) dollars for playing a game."
But really,  there's nothing about Butler that says he's a bad guy. The worst thing he's been validly accused of, apparently, is riding teammates who don't work as hard as he does (gasp!). I'm sure he could be more diplomatic, but for me at least his candor is refreshing, not a negative.
He's never been in legal trouble or had off-court issues. He's never been accused of cheating or using PEDs. He's never  been accused of dogging it on the court, playing soft or not caring about winning.

All the dislike for a guy whose cardinal sin is saying he doesn't want to play with guys who don't work hard is weird.

[JWags85]

Schooling the starters with a bunch of bench guys is epic.

Shouting obnoxious expletives at the owner isn’t.

He yelled at the GM, who has chosen to value someone like Wiggins who has done little with his potential, over Butler who continually exceeds his.

Veterans like Teague are supporting Butler. The young stars who are reportedly coasting, are in the crosshairs.

I know a lot of people in here want their stars to be Tim Duncan or Barry Sanders, but that’s doesnt make you an pretty boy or a diva if you’re not. If you’re top 15 in the world at what you do, especially in a direct performance/merit based role, it’s not crazy to expect or demand to be treated as such.

And FWIW, I’ve still heard of 2-3 personal stories of Jimmy being friendly and engaging off the court, so it’s not like he’s completely lost who he was. He’s come a long damn way from homeless in Tomball

[skianth16]

I have zero idea why anyone would think what he just apparently did would be viewed as selfish or being a prima donna.  Or frankly why it’s even an pretty boy move. He proved his value. Showed why working hard means something. And he lead by example.

You don't think he's being selfish or a prima donna? He's demanding a trade to a major market team. He comes across as just wanting more time in the spotlight. He's not trying to get onto a contending team, just one in a bigger city where he can rub elbows with more Wahlbergs of the world.

Has he proven his value? Sure, he's a great player, and the team wins far more with him on the floor. But I don't think he's going about any of this the right way right now. I'm all for guys trying to get paid, but there are better ways of going about it. Then again, this method gets him the attention he seems to want. Not a good look for Jimmy, in my opinion.

[Silkk the Shaka]

There's a general knee-jerk dislike for any player who demands a trade, which I can sort of understand (don't agree, but understand).
But the rest I don't get. Has Jimmy gotten cocky as his star has risen? Heck yeah. All great athletes are cocky. Some are just better at pretending they're not because it appeases the meatheads who call talk radio saying "I'd play this game for free"or "Nobody deserves (insert number here) dollars for playing a game."
But really,  there's nothing about Butler that says he's a bad guy. The worst thing he's been validly accused of, apparently, is riding teammates who don't work as hard as he does (gasp!). I'm sure he could be more diplomatic, but for me  least his candor is not a negative.
He's never been in legal trouble or had off-court issues. He's never been accused of cheating or using PEDs. He's never  been accused of dogging it on the court, playing soft or not caring about winning.

All the dislike for a guy whose cardinal sin is saying he doesn't want to play with guys who don't work hard is weird.

Co-sign, love watching the guy mold the world into the way he wants to see it

[Pakuni]

Jae seems to approve.


 JAE CROWDER @CJC9BOSS
AYE MAN @JimmyButler TOOK EM BACK TO THE MARQUETTE DAYS I SEE.!! 😂😂😂 @TeamCoachBuzz LOOK WHAT YOU CREATED.!!! 😈😎

[skianth16]

There's a general knee-jerk dislike for any player who demands a trade, which I can sort of understand (don't agree, but understand).
But the rest I don't get. Has Jimmy gotten cocky as his star has risen? Heck yeah. All great athletes are cocky. Some are just better at pretending they're not because it appeases the meatheads who call talk radio saying "I'd play this game for free"or "Nobody deserves (insert number here) dollars for playing a game."
But really,  there's nothing about Butler that says he's a bad guy. The worst thing he's been validly accused of, apparently, is riding teammates who don't work as hard as he does (gasp!). I'm sure he could be more diplomatic, but for me  least his candor is not a negative.
He's never been in legal trouble or had off-court issues. He's never been accused of cheating or using PEDs. He's never  been accused of dogging it on the court, playing soft or not caring about winning.

All the dislike for a guy whose cardinal sin is saying he doesn't want to play with guys who don't work hard is weird.

Not all great athletes are cocky. Drew Brees and Peyton Manning are some of the best QBs of all time, and yet they manage to not be jerks to reporters or teammates. Steph Curry and Giannis are two of the biggest names in the NBA today, and you're far more likely to hear them described as humble than cocky. Jimmy has some MJ in him when it comes to having high expectations for teammates, but that's not always going to work when you're not as good as MJ.

As for his "cardinal sin," there's a big difference between being frustrated with your teammates and calling your teammates out in the national media. Pushing guys to work harder and even calling them out in practice or the locker room in front of the team is expected from leaders. Talking trash about them to ESPN is not the move of a good leader.

[JWags85]

You don't think he's being selfish or a prima donna? He's demanding a trade to a major market team. He comes across as just wanting more time in the spotlight. He's not trying to get onto a contending team, just one in a bigger city where he can rub elbows with more Wahlbergs of the world.

What "contenders" have space for another superstar?  Warriors? Rockets? Celtics? Raptors?  Nope, no, nah, no sir.  Sixers maybe, but they have enough young talent. Lakers won't trade, and will wait until free agency.

So yea, he's talking big market teams.  Thats also the place to recruit other stars to join you in NY, Miami, or LA.  It serves both purposes.  Miami makes a TON of sense.  You have a great coach, a savvy head of basketball, and some young talent.  Suddenly you can make a pitch.

And also, from a competition standpoint, the young stars in Minny proved his point.  Nobody stepped up to him, nobody said nah man.  Hell, if Wiggins or KAT took a swing at him, he would have been thrilled.  Showed they gave a damn.  If those guys were reaching potential and they were a threat to the top 3 in the West, he wouldn't be so annoyed with everything.

Not all great athletes are cocky. Drew Brees and Peyton Manning are some of the best QBs of all time, and yet they manage to not be jerks to reporters or teammates. Steph Curry and Giannis are two of the biggest names in the NBA today, and you're far more likely to hear them described as humble than cocky. Jimmy has some MJ in him when it comes to having high expectations for teammates, but that's not always going to work when you're not as good as MJ.

As for his "cardinal sin," there's a big difference between being frustrated with your teammates and calling your teammates out in the national media. Pushing guys to work harder and even calling them out in practice or the locker room in front of the team is expected from leaders. Talking trash about them to ESPN is not the move of a good leader.

I GUARANTEE you Brees or Manning chews into teammates who aren't giving their best.  Manning had a meticulously curated public image but he was highly demanding as a teammate.  The difference is the Colts moved mountains for him, very different than Jimmy in Minny.  And Steph has been called cocky plenty of times the last two years with his shimmys and sideline glares after shots, which is FINE!  He's a killer.  Giannis is just starting to find himself, we saw him try to kill Aron Baynes repeatedly, his edge is still developing.  Nobody is saying Jimmy is an A**hole to the media.  Expecting someone to work as hard as you do isn't being a jerk.

And how do you know what he says to them in practice.  He could ride them all the time and they just don't respond.  Like he did today.  So yea, he's talking to ESPN about it.  Its part of his plan and his agenda, but its not like its some sadistic move.  Dude is just completely fed up.  And he's backing up all the smack he has talked.