Basketball

“Didn’t Think Jimmy Butler Was Gon Be in the NBA!”: Dwyane Wade Shared the ‘Full-Circle’ Moment He Had With $80,000,000 Star

Akash Murty
|PublishedJun 07, 2023

“Didn’t Think Jimmy Butler Was Gon Be in the NBA!”: Dwyane Wade Shared the ‘Full-Circle’ Moment He Had With $80,000,000 Star

Credits: USA TODAY SPORTS

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat stand a chance to create history as they have been able to steal Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals from the Nuggets in Denver. Life is coming full circle for the Heat forward, about whom people had so many doubts. The #30 pick of the 2011 Draft, even surprised Dwyane Wade when he made it to the NBA. However, today, he has not only built himself a net worth of $80,000,000 but also stands a chance to redo what Wade did for this franchise.

It’d be a full-circle moment for Butler also because Wade once tried to team with him in Chicago, but failed to win a championship. And now he might win it all with the team for whom DWade brought their first championship.

When Dwyane Wade reminisced his full circle moment with Jimmy Butler

Back in 2021, Jimmy Butler joined former Miami Heat duo Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, in an NBA on TNT Tuesday episode. DWade then remembered how he had seen the young hustler workout before his draft and, “Didn’t think he [Jimmy Butler] was gon be in the NBA!”

The 3x Champ went from “good for Jimmy to get in as a 30th pick,” to calling Jimmy to join forces in Chicago in 5 years. Watch the following clip by Bleacher Report’s YouTube channel.

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Wade retired in 2019 as a Heat legend, despite having left the franchise for about a year and a half. Of course, he did return for a second stint with the franchise prior to hanging his boots up for good. The void left by him would have been huge, but Butler made the move there just in time to take the reins over from Wade.

Butler just wants to be Dwyane Wade for a day

Like every other person who knew him, Jimmy never thought he would lead franchises to contend for championships. He simply wanted to play in the NBA.

But while his initial wishes were smaller, they did also get bigger with every goal he achieved. And now, the man just wants to hit an iconic game-winner like Wade did in the last game of his legendary career.

Butler wouldn’t stand at the announcers’ table, but it’ll be cool for him to be Dwyane Wade for a day.

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.