(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Today, Jimmy Butler is finally known and respected around the NBA as a diehard competitor and leader, but he didn’t always have this kind of reputation.
Once he left the Chicago Bulls, and especially during his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the narrative around Butler was that he was a toxic teammate with a huge ego, and an entitled player who hadn’t earned his stripes yet.
That’s why it’s not much of a surprise to hear that Giannis Antetokounmpo vetoed a deal when the Milwaukee Bucks wanted to trade for him in 2019, according to a report by SiriusXM NBA (Via Legion Hoops).
REPORT: The Bucks called Giannis in 2019 asking if he wanted to trade Khris Middleton for Jimmy Butler, per @SiriusXMNBA.
According to a former Bucks player, Giannis vetoed the deal. pic.twitter.com/TQayuqdm7T
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 28, 2023
Fast forward to today, and it’s become evident that Butler only got a bad rap, as several of his teammates have only had words of praise, love, and respect for him.
He’s also led the Miami Heat to two trips to the NBA Finals and three Eastern Conference Finals, so it’s not like he’s not an elite player.
It’s hard to blame Giannis for not wanting that kind of reported negative energy in the locker room, and it paid off pretty well for the Bucks anyway, as it didn’t take long before they won a championship of their own.
It also worked out perfectly for Butler.
His tenures in Minnesota and with the Philadelphia 76ers proved to Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra that he was the guy they needed to go after, and he’s the true embodiment of Heat Culture, ending up right where he needed to end up.
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