Jimmy Butler is not a fan of the Chicago Bulls players who, reportedly, “really can’t stand” Dwyane Wade.
While appearing on ESPN’s Tuesday edition of The Jump, Nick Friedell talked about why Flash’s no-practice regime and his decision to call out the young guns last season created some lingering tension within the locker room. Though he also noted Wade could smooth it over if he ends up sticking with Chicago, Butler took a different approach, per the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Joe Cowley:
Jimmy Butler has a message for some of his former Bulls teammates who might have a ‘‘so-called dislike’’ for Dwyane Wade.
‘‘Hell, probably some of them can’t stand or don’t like me,’’ Butler told the Sun-Times in a phone interview Thursday. ‘‘That’s fine. I’m still waking up fortunate and blessed every day, just like Dwyane is. He still has a fabulous family and a lot more important things to worry about than the opinions of others.
‘‘But if they dislike him because the guy wants to win, well, then that team has some serious problems on the way.’’
Butler, who was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night, kind of has a point. But he’s also biased. He and Wade became close during their lone season together, with Butler seemingly latching on to the opportunity to learn from a former NBA champion and more established veteran.
Both sides, in that way, kind of have a point—assuming the young Bulls are even rankled by Wade. Those kiddies aren’t on the same timeline. They’re trying to build careers and develop, especially now, with Butler gone and Chicago triggering a new rebuild. Butler and Wade, meanwhile, operate on similar timelines. They want to win. And Wade, to his credit, signed on with the Bulls under the guise that they would be trying to win. To suddenly find himself in a rebuilding situation is hardly ideal, and not at all what he was promised last summer.
Anyway, it’s good to know Butler still has Wade’s back, even though they’re no longer teammates. After all, Wade may need the outside support if he’s forced to begin next year in Chicago, among those who, apparently, aren’t his biggest fans.
