CHICAGO—For two weeks this summer, Doug McDermott flew out to San Diego to stay at Jimmy Butler’s house and work out. Butler was coming off of a breakout season, for which he’d been handsomely rewarded. McDermott had struggled through a disappointing rookie season.
Both Chicago Bulls teammates were highly motivated to improve their games, but even McDermott was taken aback at Butler’s tenacity. “Jimmy would come in my room at 5 a.m.,” McDermott said. “My alarm was set for 5:15, and we'd get up and go."
The venue was different, and so was the goal. But the relentlessness that has gotten Butler this far was still intact.
Last summer, intent on making a leap going into a contract year, Butler holed up in Houston with a few close friends and no cable or Internet. It paid off in a big way: Butler made his first NBA All-Star team, won the Most Improved Player award and in July, signed a five-year, $94 million contract to stay in Chicago long-term.
This latest push wasn’t to earn a payday—he’d already done that. And now that he’s gotten ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Sean Highkin
Potential Part-Time Point Guard Jimmy Butler Embracing Role as Bulls’ New Leader
October 5th, 2015 by Sean Highkin Leave a reply »
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