Back in February, 24 of the NBA's best played in the
All-Star Game in New York City. The rosters featured one-time high school
prodigies, sons of former NBA players and No. 1 overall picks.
Only one player played on a junior college roster. Only one
player spent part of his high school life homeless. Only one player came from
Tomball, Texas, population 11,124.
"I feel like I've come a long, long, long way from
Tomball, Texas, and couldn't be more proud," Butler said at the start of
speech at Chicago's United Center. "I feel like the Bulls are just as
proud of me."
Butler's father, Jimmy, left Butler's childhood before it
began in Tomball, which is approximately 40 miles from Houston. When he was 13,
Butler's mother, Londa, kicked him out of his house. In 2011, Butler told
ESPN.com she put him on the streets because "she didn't like the look of
him."
Butler moved in with a friend, Jermaine Thomas, whose father
spent most of his time on the road as a truck driver. Before his senior year of
high school, Butler met Jordan Leslie, a freshman, at a basketball camp.
Leslie, who was born to a white mother and African-American father, previously
lost his father in a car accident. Before his senior year at Tomball High
School, 16-year-old Butler and Thomas moved in with Leslie, his three siblings,
and his mother, Michelle Lambert. Lambert is the woman Butler calls,
"Mommy."
Although Butler found a mother figure, his basketball game
still needed work. He lacked college offers and resorted to stay close to home
below the NCAA level.
"You look back at Jimmy's story and it really is
amazing that we're here today," Bulls General Manager Gar Forman said.
"You go back to high school where Jimmy was basically a non-recruited
player, he goes to Tyler Junior College.”
Butler averaged 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in his one
season at Tyler. That was enough to catch the eye of then-Marquette coach Buzz
Williams. Williams brought Butler to Milwaukee to play behind such Golden
Eagles stars Wesley Matthews and Lazar Hayward. He did not start a game in his
sophomore season. Getting minutes was Butler's goal, not making the NBA.
"Buzz brought me to Marquette and he taught me your
confidence, it only comes from your work," Butler said. "This summer,
I put in a lot of work to get to where I am today. Without Buzz constantly
challenging me and pushing me to be great, I don’t think I'd be standing
here."
Butler progressed at Marquette. After averaging 5.6 points
his sophomore year, Butler bumped those figures to 14.7 and 15.7 points in his
junior and season seasons. His visible and statistical improvements at
Marquette put him on NBA radars. Forman grabbed him with the Bulls' first-round
pick (30th overall).
In Butler's rookie year, the lockout-shortened 2011-12
season, he only played in 42 games with no starts. Butler averaged 8.5 minutes
and just 2.6 points.
Butler attributes Luol Deng and Adrian Griffin as two of the
individuals who helped him push through a frustrating rookie season. "Luol
had a lot do it to tell you the truth, teaching me to be a professional and
teaching me the ropes," he says of the former Bull, whose role as the
team's go-to swingman was essentially handed to Butler.
Butler had his coming-out party in 2012-13 when a Deng
injury allowed the second-year player more playing time. He averaged 8.6 points
in 82 games (20 starts) and 26 minutes a game. As time has passed, Butler's
role has widened. He started all 132 regular-season games he played in from
2013-14 to 2014-15. Butler averaged 13.1 points in 2013-14 and 20.0 points (and
5.8 rebounds) in his All-Star 2014-15 campaign.
"He comes to the Bulls and he continues with the same
focus, the same energy" Forman says of drafting Butler in 2011. "[He]
goes from being a role player initially to becoming a starter to becoming
today, the most improved player in the NBA and an NBA All-Star."
When Butler was drafted, the Bulls were rich with talent.
Derrick Rose had won the MVP award the previous season. Deng and Carlos Boozer
were still there, and Joakim Noah was continuing to develop. Butler was not
supposed to be the guy. Four years ago, imagining Butler being the
leading-scorer on a Bulls team with a shot at an NBA title would have been
ludicrous.
But rapid progression is a recurring theme in Butler's
basketball life.
"I felt like at any level I was at, whether it be
junior college or Marquette, I didn't think I was supposed to be there,"
Butler said. "Being from Tomball, and somehow, in some way, with the
people in my corner, I found a way to get there. Now that I'm here, I'm just as
confident as when I was in junior College or when I was at Marquette. As long
as I continue to work, I'll continue to stay and I'll continue to get
better."
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau thinks Butler can get better too.
"I don't want to put a lid on it," he says. "I don't think any
of us do. We don't know where it's going. All I know is if you study his
career, every year he's gotten a lot better."
"We wouldn't be in the position that we are today
without him," Thibodeau says. "Whatever we've asked him to do, he's
excelled in that role. He came in primarily as a defensive player, a great
effort guy, and he's made himself into a great scorer, and most importantly, a
winning player. He's very, very unselfish and very, very efficient. He scores
in a lot of different ways and he'll guard anybody and he's a fierce
competitor."
Butler attributes Thibodeau for pushing him beyond his
talent love. The coaches have led Butler to focus on the mental aspects of the
game just as much as the physical aspects.
Last summer, Butler turned off all Internet and cable
services in his home in Houston. He shut out the non-basketball aspects of his
life–something he had done so well already despite the hardships life has given
him–and worked day-in, day-out with trainer Chris Johnson.
"He was the first one who said I'll make you an
All-Star," Butler said. "Of course, I didn't believe it."
Butler's summer focused worked. From day one of the 2014-15
season, Butler has been among the top players in the league. It is what got him
an All-Star nod and has made him the Bulls' No. 1offensive (and defensive)
option.
"I believe he's one of the best two-way players in the
league today," Thibodeau says. "It hasn't happened by accident. The
way he's worked, it's a testament to his character and who he is as a person. Obviously,
to get where he is today, you have to have a lot of talent, which he does have,
but when you combine that with his intelligence and his drive, you get
something special."
Forman adds that Butler's presence on the court is far from
his only positive. He works similarly as hard off the court.
"Jimmy is a very special person," Forman says.
"Anybody who's been around him knows he goes out of his way each and every
day to interact with everybody that he's around. He's always willing to give
himself before others, which is really a great trait."
"I think this is a place for me. I love playing with
the guys that we have. They continue to bring in great high character guys that
fit the team role. I love it here and I'm happy to be here."
"I want to help this team win," he said. "I
want to get antoher trophy and I want to win a championship. That's the final
goal."
