Jimmy Butler has been one of the best two-way stars in the league for some time now. Having played in both Conferences, Butler has become accustomed to facing the best players regularly. Advancing to the postseason seven consecutive times since 2017, the 6-foot-7 forward has had to defend some of the league’s brightest talents on the biggest stage. Early in 2020, Jimmy tipped his hats to the five toughest players he’s had to guard during his tenure as a pro. While also mentioning Stephen Curry’s name in the article he wrote for “The Players’ Tribune”, the Miami Heat leader dished out some extra love to LeBron James.
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When needed Jimmy Butler can take over games by digging deep in his offensive arsenal. However, while we have often seen him torch the best teams for 50-point performances, we do not always give him enough credit for being a sensational character on the defensive end. Earlier in these past playoffs, we witnessed Jimmy playing some tough defense as he led the Florida side to emerge victorious over the Bucks, the Knicks, and the Celtics. However, from time to time, even the best get humiliated on the defensive end.
In his The Players’ Tribue article, Butler deep-dived into the five players who were a hassle to guard.
Jimmy Butler named LeBron James and Stephen Curry among the five toughest players he has had to guard
As seen in the article, after displaying his affection for Marquette University and Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler went on to name the five toughest players he has guarded. They are as follows:
- LeBron James
- Kyrie Irving
- Kevin Durant
- Stephen Curry
- James Harden
This is an elite list of some of the best offensive players in league history. So, it is understandable why Butler would give a nod to these five superstars.
The likes of Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden manage to dominate the league with their premier combination of handling and shooting. In the past decade, all three of these Guards have lodged incredible stats due to their pin-point shooting.
Kevin Durant is one of the most unique talents fans have ever seen. A true unicorn, KD can shoot, dribble, pass, and rebound equally well. Towering at 6-foot-11, it is almost impossible to contest any of the Slim Reaper’s shots, especially his fadeaways.
Arguably the greatest player in basketball history, LeBron James is an obvious pick for Butler. Owing his tough physicality greatly, the King is a solid three-level scorer. Apart from scoring, the four-time champion has the natural ability to involve his teammates and make them better players. Dishing heap of praises to LeBron’s versatility, Butler couldn’t help but call him a “positionless” player, stating the 6-foot-9 Forward would do “whatever you need, whenever you need it”.
These players are deservedly Butler’s frightful five. However, while he has heaped on incredible praise, the Heat star has received even better from a Miami legend.
Dwyane Wade compared Butler to Michael Jordan
There has been an ongoing joke on social media that regards Jimmy Butler to be the long-lost son of Michael Jordan. While these rumors aren’t true, Dwyane Wade had his own reasons for comparing the two players.
Sharing a mentor-mentee relationship, D-Wade has spent a lot of time with Butler. In fact, the NBA legend was the reason behind the six-time All-Star joining the Miami Heat. As discussed with Shannon Sharpe on the Club Shay Shay podcast, according to Wade, similar to Jordan even Butler would often search for extra motivation. As we’ve often seen MJ thrive on all the trash-talk, Butler also tends to perform better once he “takes things personally”.
