From Couch Surfer to Superstar

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Welcome back to the newsletter with readers so loyal they wear your merch until it literally falls apart 👇

In today’s email: He got kicked out of his house at 13 years old.

Then he went from couch surfer to 6-time NBA All-Star.

You probably know his name, but do you know how he got here?

Let’s dive in 👇

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Jimmy Butler Went From Couch Surfing Teen to NBA All-Star

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“Please, I know you’re going to write something. I’m just asking you, don’t write it in a way that makes people feel sorry for me.”

“I hate that.”

“There’s nothing to feel sorry about. I love what happened to me. It made me who I am. I’m grateful for the challenges I’ve faced. Please don’t make them feel sorry for me”. 

Those were the words of Jimmy Butler before the 2011 NBA Draft.

His story, like many we share here, is one of perseverance. Not pity. 

When he’s not busy dropping buckets, you can find Jimmy making coffee, serving as a ball boy at the US Open, appearing in a music video, or helping organize a paddleball tournament.

Basically, Jimmy has his hands in anything and everything.

So much so that he doesn’t even have a TV in his house.

He’s too busy enjoying life to the fullest.

But there was a point in Jimmy's life when everything wasn’t as bright.

To understand where the six-time All-Star’s passion for life comes from, you need to know where he started.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Jimmy was the son of a single mother. His father left when he was just an infant.

At a time when most kids look forward to high school and being a teenager, Butler’s mother flat out told him at the age of 13, “I don’t like the look of you. You gotta go,” and kicked him out of the house.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and thankfully for Jimmy, his friends let him crash on their couches for a few weeks before moving on to the next house.

"I was on my own for the most part, and that's the way I felt."

The couch surfing finally ended during his junior year of high school.

Jimmy met freshman Jordan Leslie at a basketball camp and the two became fast friends.

Jordan's mom Michelle Lambert – who already had six other kids to look after – welcomed Jimmy into her home.

While some may think that a life of creating your own rules, or lack of them can be cool, the stability and rules that Lambert implemented helped Jimmy improve his life, grades, and basketball skills.

“They accepted me into their family, and it wasn’t just because of basketball. She was just very loving. She did stuff like that. I couldn’t believe it,” Butler said.

Playing for the Tomball Cougars, Jimmy wasn’t a big name on the high school scene. He was only rated as a two-star recruit by graduation.

“My whole life people have doubted me,” he said.

“People told me in high school that I was too short and not fast enough to play basketball. They didn’t know my story, because if they did, they would know that anything is possible.”

Without playing AAU ball, Jimmy found himself without any scholarship offers and ended up playing for the Tyler Apaches, a junior college in Texas.

Averaging 18.1 points, 7.7 boards, and 3.1 dimes, Butler raised his stock enough to draw a scholarship offer from several Division I schools, including the Marquette Eagles.

Jimmy never took an official visit to the Milwaukee-based university and upon acceptance of his scholarship, he faxed his National Letter of Intent from a local McDonald’s.

His first season playing for coach Buzz Williams was nothing to get excited about. Jimmy averaged 19 minutes off the bench, with 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds.

After getting used to being “the man” at Tyler, Jimmy found it challenging playing a limited role for the Eagles.

“I’ve never been harder on a player that I’ve been on Jimmy,” Coach Williams admitted.

“I was ruthless on him because he didn’t know how good he could be. He’d been told his whole life he wasn’t good enough. What I was seeing was a guy who could impact our team in so many ways.”

After a season of learning behind Wes Matthews and Lazar Hayward, Jimmy earned a starting role for the Eagles during his junior and senior seasons, both of which ended with appearances at the Big Dance.

Though he posted impressive, but not earth-shattering numbers during his final year, Butler’s draft stock wasn’t so high heading into the 2011 NBA Draft.

In 42 games with the Chicago Bulls, his rookie stats were modest: 2.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, and an average of 8.5 minutes off the bench — typical of a 30th overall pick.

But those numbers gave no hint of the road ahead.

First off, Butler was playing behind Richard Hamilton, Kyle Korver, and Luol Deng.

Second, coach Tom Thibodeau – who would grow to love Butler – is well known to hardly give rookies a chance.

With an unfortunate amount of injuries, the opportunity to grab more minutes presented itself during Jimmy's second season in Chicago.

Leapfrogging from the second-to-last man off the bench to playing the fourth-most minutes on the team, Butler came off the bench for 62 of the 82-game schedule.

He was on the floor for the most meaningful minutes of the game.

While he wasn’t “Jimmy Buckets” just yet, Butler established himself as one of, if not the hardest workers on the team. He was also one of the best defenders in the league, earning Thibs’ praises.

From that point on, there was no looking back. 

A three-time All-Star, a Most Improved Player recipient, two-time All-Defensive Second Team, and a member of the All-NBA Third Team during his six seasons in Chicago, Butler became the leader of a Bulls team with championship aspirations in 2014-15.

Ultimately, they fell short of expectations.

Two years later, the Bulls were looking in a different direction and traded Butler and the 16th pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and the 7th pick in the 2017 Draft.

His past followed him to his new team.

"I don’t ever want that to define me,” he said.

“I hated it whenever it came up...Like, that hasn’t gotten me to where I am today. I’m a great basketball player because of my work. I’m a good basketball player because of the people I have around me. And if I continue to be stuck in the past, then I won’t get any better."

During Butler’s first seasons in Minnesota, he helped the Wolves advance to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.

Earning another All-Star, All-Defensive Second Team, and All-NBA Third team during his first year, it seemed like all the pieces were in place for the Timberwolves to finally join the elite in the Western Conference.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be long before Butler requested a trade out of Minnesota.

It happened primarily because he felt that Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins were not on his level of competitiveness, yet were paid and treated as the team’s superstars.

It all culminated in the infamous practice where Jimmy went on a profanity-laced tirade.

“You f***** need me! You can’t win without me.”

Thirteen games into the 2018-19 season, Butler was shipped off to Philadelphia.

His stop with the Sixers lasted just 55 regular season games and a trip to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals where a legendary favorable bounce (or four) led to the Sixers going home early.

Stories of Butler being unhappy with coach Brett Brown and how the Sixers management ran the organization began to surface, leading to Jimmy once again seeking a new start.

In the summer of 2019, Butler found himself part of a giant four-team deal that landed him in the place he now calls home: Miami.

In five seasons with the Heat, Butler has fully embraced the “Heat Culture”.

He led the team to two NBA Finals (including his memorable and profitable run in the “Bubble”), earning an All-NBA Second Team, two All-NBA Third Team honors, two All-Stars, and an All-Defensive Second Team.

It’s been said that the Heat will only go as far as Butler can carry them.

But the problem over the years has been the availability of the now 12-year pro.

With load management and most recently a knee injury, which kept him out of the Heat’s first-round loss to the Celtics, Butler has missed an average of 20 games each season while in Miami.

Set to be a free agent next summer, Jimmy should have his fair share of teams lined up to make him an offer.

Will he stay in Miami, or would an opportunity to play in his hometown of Houston be more appealing?

Considering the path he’s taken to get here, look for Jimmy to use this season as an opportunity to prove himself all over again.

With his past in the rearview mirror, Jimmy Butler still carries the lessons it taught him.

"If you give somebody a chance, and you're on their side, and you tell them loving things, you never know what can happen."

"Anybody can make it out of any situation if they have the right people around them."

🐶 

Today’s story was written by our pal in the north, Steve Lee. If you’ve got a friend who’d enjoy this story, why not share it with them?

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Your feedback helps me make this newsletter better every week. Thanks in advance!

Tune in next week for the true story behind one of the most popular sports movies of the 2000s.

Til next time,
Tyler

Extra Innings…

👀 In case you missed it: Quinn Meinerz went from D3 football to an $80 million NFL contract. A lot of readers enjoyed this one, and I have to say, I might have found my new favorite O-lineman!

😮 What are the chances? Max Muncy was drafted by the A’s in 2012. Then another Max Muncy was drafted by the A’s in 2021. They also have the same birthday.

🫶 Reader replies I love:

• “Thank you for the amazing stories I truly enjoy them.”

• “Thank you for including me. I love stories of persistence, obtaining dreams, and seeing underdogs succeed!”

• “The Quinn Meinerz story is great. What a great inspiration he is. It is great to see him rewarded for his belief in himself and his hard work.”