‘Stacey King gave me the Jimmy Buckets nickname even before the NBA’: When Jimmy Butler revealed how his famous nickname came into being

Jimmy Butler has one of the coolest nicknames a basketball player can have – Stacey King was the one behind it all.

To have a nickname in the NBA is common – a famous one is great – but to have the very thing you need to do in the game as your nickname, Jimmy Butler had it from the start. Even before stepping onto the court, a young Butler was given that name by Stacey King, something not many rookies get.

Even though he did not play much during his rookie season, the then-Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau did not choose to put him in his rotation. Understandable, because Derrick Rose was the star man then. But once his injury happened, Butler started playing more and made strides to be the player we see now.

He always played with a chip on his shoulder, for not being anyone’s first choice. He bounced around a lot in the system during his formative years and was not selected in a higher pick during his draft. But hard work, dedication to his craft, and a place where he finally is respected make Jimmy one hell of an athlete.

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Jimmy Butler is on his way to another final – Buckets or not, he deserves a championship ring

Coach Erik Spoelstra may have won two rings, but if he wins one this year, it would be his most meaningful one. While in 2012 and 13, he had a near infallible super team, this one is a more rag=tag band of good players with high chemistry. Jimmy Butler brings out the best in all of these players, and he along with everyone else deservedly needs to be in another final.

Jimmy plays hard, but when it comes to working, it’s Mamba mentality from the get-go. He starts before anyone else, stays long after everyone is done, and puts in the grind while watching the tapes. What we see on the court is the attitude of a man who knows the effort behind the cockiness.

Whether Jimmy gets those all-important buckets for the next potential 14 games is to be watched. If he does, Miami has a strong chance of beating either the Celtics or the reigning champions Milwaukee. If it were up to the Heat, they would want to face the Bucks, given how they went out meekly last year.

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