Since joining the Heat in 2019, Jimmy Butler has led the franchise to two NBA Finals appearances, earning him the reputation of being one of the finest playoff performers in the league. Not many expected the guard to blossom into the superstar he is when he was picked 30th overall in the 2011 NBA draft. However, Darius Johnson-Odom is among the minority who knew due to his experience playing against him.
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Butler and the former Lakers guard shared a locker room at Marquette for two seasons. When YouTuber Samo Okauru asked about his time playing alongside the six-time All-Star during an interview, Johnson-Odom said,
“Jimmy was a great teammate. He was a dawg… Defensively, he had all that… Even in college, I couldn’t beat Jimmy one on one…He’s literally the only person that I could not beat in college, one-on-one… He could bump the roll man and still get the steal at the same time. I’m like, ‘How you doing that?'”
The 34-year-old, who spent the 2012-13 season with the Lakers, added that Butler’s offensive game wasn’t as refined as it is today. However, his trademark defensive hustle made him difficult to beat. However, he was no slouch on offense in college.
During the 2010-11 NCAA season, Jimmy Butler averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals. His stellar campaign earned him an invite to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament where Butler won camp MVP, skyrocketing his draft stock. The Bulls picked late in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft, which was the perfect landing spot for the guard.
How Richard Hamilton helped Jimmy Butler unlock his NBA game
During his rookie season, Butler saw limited playing time. When he was on the court, he did not get many opportunities on offense. Had this continued, the former Marquette standout would’ve been pigeonholed as a defensive wing.
However, Pistons icon and his Bulls teammate Richard Hamilton’s stellar advice changed the course of the guard’s career. During a post-game interview in 2022, Butler said,
“Rip [Hamilton] taught me at a young age, because I wasn’t that good whenever I came into the league like nobody wanted to pass me the ball. He always told me if you want to score and you want to get the ball, play good defense and get a steal, go get a layup or crash the boards and go get an offensive rebound… To this day, that sticks in my head.“
The guard’s desire to get more touches on offense prompted him to become even better on defense. He became a ball hawk, making steals and rebounds essential elements of his game. Hamilton’s advice improved Butler’s offensive and defensive ability and turned him into one of the best two-way guards in the league.
