Dealing With ‘Long-lost Son’ Rumors, Jimmy Butler Once Named Michael Jordan As The Undisputed GOAT

Akash Murty | 31/05/2023
Dealing With ‘Long-lost Son’ Rumors, Jimmy Butler Once Named Michael Jordan As The Undisputed GOAT

Jimmy Butler has some uncanny resemblance with the Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. The internet even believes ‘His Airness’ is the Heat superstar’s biological father. There is no public information about Butler’s actual father to date. Even some former players like John Salley have joked about it in a subtle way to praise Jimmy’s game. However, Jimmy never took any offense to these rumors. In fact, just 5 years ago, he gave Jordan the ultimate praise by calling him the GOAT.

Growing up in the 90s in Houston, too young to see what MJ was doing at the time, Butler developed into a Tracy McGrady fan. After all, the unstoppable ‘T-Mac’ played with the Rockets the longest in his 16-year career. However, Jimmy always knew who was the greatest of all time to ever grace the hardwood.

When Jimmy Butler revealed Michael Jordan to be his GOAT

In a 2018 interview with GQ, Jimmy Butler gushed about being a Jordan Brand athlete and how anyone who is ‘really good’ at their sport always wants a piece of the basketball GOAT.

“I love my brand. As a basketball player, I am fortunate enough to be sponsored by the Jordan brand. I have plenty of them with me all times. Growing up, it was my favorite pair of shoes because everybody wanted something to do with Jordan brand. As a basketball player, if you’re really really really good at your sport, you probably wanted to have something to do with the GOAT of basketball, that being Michael Jordan.”

It’s no wonder people feel Michael Jordan is his real father. Not only does he look similar to him, have his mentality, but also so much of his basketball ability, Sure, he may not be in the GOAT conversation. However, he did also take a play-in team in the Miami Heat all the way to the NBA Finals. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he is one of the greatest players to ever lace up.

Has Jordan or Butler addressed father-son rumors?

If you look at Butler’s picture from his Bulls days [short hair], side-by-side with Jordan’s early years in the league, you would not be able to help but wonder if any of these rumors are actually true.

That’s where it all started. However, neither Jordan nor Butler nor any of their family members or associates have addressed those rumors to date.

Let’s hope they never do and this (somewhat hilarious) theory lives long, along with their legacies.

 

Post Edited By: Tonoy Sengupta
Jimmy Butler Michael Jordan

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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