Jimmy Butler On His Personality: 'Damn Right I'm Confrontational'

[RealGM Wiretap]

Jimmy Butler explained that his confrontational approach during an interview on the Posted Up With Chris Haynes podcast.

“Damn right I'm confrontational. I am confrontational...I would be the first to tell you, I don't give a damn. I've always been like that. I haven’t said it all the time. I’ve always acted it though. Like if you know me and you’re around me, man, if you not around me everyday, I don’t give a damn what you say because you don’t know what I go through," said Butler.

Butler said he modeled his work ethic and approach to the game after Luol Deng.

Butler added that he doesn't care how he's perceived by other people and stated that he liked being misunderstood.

"If you just come be around me for X amount of hours, X amount of days, you’ll be like, ‘ah, I get it. I understand. I know a little bit about him. I know why he do what he do. I know why he think the way that he thinks. I know why he move the way that he move.’ But you’re not (around me.) You only see bits and pieces from what you get out of the media or from what somebody is telling you."

Via Dave Uram/94WIP

[GeorgeMarcus]

Keep doing you Jimmy

[Morse Code]

Nothing like being openly proud of a character flaw.

[IAMZOOTED2]

Nothing like being openly proud of a character flaw.

People don't change, bro. Might as well embrace it. Leopard couldn't change his spots, either

[Morse Code]

Nothing like being openly proud of a character flaw.

People don't change, bro. Might as well embrace it. Leopard couldn't change his spots, either

The first step is admitting you have a problem.

[puja21]

Nothing like being openly proud of a character flaw.

Butler is only getting away with this now because he can as a top ~10-15 player in the final seasons of his prime

The moment his game slips, so does his leverage.

Without major image reform, zero chance Butler is sitting on someone's roster at 40 a la Dirk, JKidd, Richard Jefferson ... he'll be bounced from the league earlier than necessary

It happened to Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker, and Steve Francis
(Francis still produced after the knee injuries; >38% 3PT shooter in his last season starting for the Knicks at 29)
It appears to be happening to Carmelo right now.
Happened to tons of others before and since.
Butler is no exception.

[PerfectJab]

Nothing like being openly proud of a character flaw.

If more people just acted like themselves and didn't give an ish about what other people thought of them, character flaw wouldn't make any sense as it wouldn't exist. Lucky for Jimmy he has the talent and money to be himself at this time without having to worry about it effecting his ability to survive.

[SaskaBall]

Nothing like being openly proud of a character flaw.

People don't change, bro. Might as well embrace it. Leopard couldn't change his spots, either

This has got to be greentext

[OdomFan]

I respect this guys realness.

[Morse Code]

Nothing like being openly proud of a character flaw.

If more people just acted like themselves and didn't give an ish about what other people thought of them, character flaw wouldn't make any sense as it wouldn't exist. Lucky for Jimmy he has the talent and money to be himself at this time without having to worry about it effecting his ability to survive.

No, "acting like yourself" is an admission that you're done growing as a human being. Like when ppl say they can't do something because "that's not me." You are whatever you want to be. Saying "be yourself" just puts you in a box and limits personal growth. It's not about what other ppl think.

[Maf]

I think I understand you, Jimmy. You're an ****.

[DaddyCool19]

Shouldn't that also count for the guys he confronts? What if the guy says "I don’t give a damn what you say because you don’t know what I go through" ? What is he gonna do after that

[gh123]

So who is giving him the max next summer?

[Lalouie]

he's "terrel owens" confrontational

this guy thinks too much of himself

[J-Mezzy]

So who is giving him the max next summer?

Me thinks the Magic will. We have to overpay to get talent down here

[anatomicbomb]

so with the close-proximity modelling of Deng that Butler was doing, did he miss Deng's quiet, team-first demeanour? i mean, Deng seems so non-confrontational that it felt like he didn't fight enough to keep his career going when he could have had something left in the tank but no one wanted to pay him.

[gdog2004]

Nothing wrong with Jimmy saying this. He speaks his mind to people that know him and doesn't care what people think who don't know him. What is wrong with that ?
Hes a great player. Having said that, I hope the Sixers are able to land Kawhi instead, but i digress.

[The Real Dalic]

Why is that always the excuse for being kinda douchey? "You don't know me or what I've been through." Who cares? Rise above your situation and come out a better man.

[bdp31770]

It seems like he's an allstar talent who wants to be treated like an mvp talent.

[BigTex]

I respect this guys realness.

Great. Respect it. But if your a GM, all other things being equal, you’re going to let him go first, when the alternative isn’t a pain in the ass, egotistical a**hole like he is. Butler is just banking on the fact that now, all other things aren’t equal. But they will be much sooner than he realizes they will, and he’ll be out of a job three to five years before the non-pain in the ass guy will be.