The Miami Heat made a big gamble by choosing Jimmy Butler to be their next franchise player. He had developed a close relationship with Dwyane Wade from their days with the Chicago Bulls, and he just knew he was the right guy to carry his torch.
Butler had a bit of a tough reputation at the time they signed him. Even so, it didn't take long before he proved to be just perfect for that organization, even leading them back to the NBA Finals.
So, now that Butler has shaken off that narrative about being a bad teammate, Heat legend Udonis Haslem explained just how much of a positive impact he's made since arriving in South Florida.
Udonis Haslem Says Jimmy Butler Turned The Heat Into A Pack Of Dogs
"I had got a chance to go out to dinner with Jimmy with D-Wade and just getting a chance to understand Jimmy," Haslem said on 'All The Smoke'. "The first thing people think about Jimmy is: 'he listens to country music, he must be weird.' Ain't nothing weird about Jimmy. If you get a chance to sit down and chop it up with Jimmy, you understand Jimmy; you know where he comes from."
"Jimmy just keeps everything close to him," Haslem continued. "He ain't wide open with his friendships; he ain't got a lot of friends, he ain't running his mouth out there telling all his business. I respect that and I appreciate that. Like I tell people all the time, if you put a dog outside, he gonna go around and go in your trash can, tear your yard open up, and you're gonna come out in the morning, and your sh*t is gonna be in shambles. You put it in the kennel with other dogs, he's gonna make a pack and that's what he did. He came down here with us and he made a pack."
Butler is a proven winner and a leader. Some may not like his ways from the outside, but he's the kind of player everyone would love to have on their team. Hopefully, all that hard work will one day pay off with a ring.
