Heat star Jimmy Butler has a ‘screw loose,’ says former Bulls All-Star teammate
Joakim Noah recently shared memories of Heat star Jimmy Butler from when they were teammates on the Bulls.
In the Play-In round of the seven-vs-eight matchup, Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat will take on the Philadelphia 76ers on the road on Wednesday night. The winner of that game will advance to face the New York Knicks in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, while the loser will have one more chance to avoid elimination against the Chicago Bulls or the Atlanta Hawks. With the noteworthy exception of the 2021 season, Butler is known to change into a new version of himself around this time of year, leading the Heat on long playoff runs in each of the previous two postseasons, and perhaps this season he’ll be able to repeat that feat.
Naturally, Butler’s NBA career began when the Chicago Bulls selected him in the 2011 NBA Draft. After Derrick Rose’s injury, Butler saw little action at first and ended up playing a supporting role. In the 2015 postseason, Butler came within two games of making it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Former All-Star Joakim Noah, who was a teammate of Jimmy Butler when he played for Chicago, recently visited The OG’s Podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller to talk about what he noticed in a younger Jimmy Butler during those early 2010s.
“I think if you know Jimmy’s background a little bit then it all makes sense,” said Noah, per The OG’s on YouTube. “You know that was in him for a long time, and look, Jimmy, he’s as competitive as they come. Is there screws loose? Yes. Is there screws loose with me? Yes. Is there screws loose with him? Yes. is there screws loose with Pat Riley? Is Pat Riley a normal guy, no not at all is Tibs a normal guy? Like does Billy Donovan go to church? No no no no.”
A unique legacy
Indeed, Jimmy Butler profiles as one of the most interesting players in the NBA who had to work hard for everything he has at this point in his career. At times, Butler has been known to perhaps rub some teammates the wrong way, particularly those during his short stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2017-18 season.
But it appears that Butler has found a franchise in the Heat that shares his high expectations for him and his teammates. The Heat, who don’t have the best team on paper, have shown during the last two postseasons that their much-maligned “Heat Culture” is real, as they have defeated other playoff teams with far superior players.
The Heat are the underdogs going into this playoff run, and if they do as predicted and make it past the Play-In round, they’ll face the Boston Celtics or the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, the team they defeated in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2023.
