“Jimmy Butler was Thrown in the Fire”: Holding His Own Against Prime Carmelo Anthony Allowed Former Bulls Star to Earn Tom Thibodeau’s Trust

Jimmy Butler is currently facing a familiar opponent. The New York Knicks are a team currently coached by his former head coach on the Bulls and the Timberwolves and a close friend Tom Thibodeau. Coincidentally, this is the same team against which Jimmy proved himself. Earning the trust of Coach Tibs after he took on Carmelo Anthony.

The Miami Heat has an absolute superstar in Jimmy Buckets. The man has singlehandedly willed the team to the second round. But, that was not always the case.

Back during his time with the Chicago Bulls, Jimmy was just a youngster under the tutelage of coach Thibodeau. And, Coach Tibs wasn’t one to sit around and develop players. So, what did he do? Well, he threw Butler straight into the fire and had him guard one of the greatest scorers of our generation.

Jimmy Butler earned the trust of Tom Thibodeau by defending against Carmelo Anthony

Tom Thibodeau and Jimmy Butler are two men who are quite familiar with each other. They’ve worked together on several occasions. In fact, their closeness comes down to the bond Jimmy forged through his hard work.

Back in 2015, the Chicago Bulls were a team with a lot of interesting stars on its roster. With Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, and Pau Gasol, they were a team filled with stars and had great depth as well.  But, perhaps the biggest surprise on that team was Jimmy Buckets.

That season, Butler was crowned Most Improved Player, an award that did not come easily. To hear his former teammate Joakim Noah say it, Jimmy was thrown into the fire. In particular, a game against the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony came to mind during an interview with ESPN. And, it was this match that earned Butler the trust of his then-head coach, Tom Thibodeau.

“I still remember that game against the Knicks, when they put him in the fire. He actually played very well against Carmelo. He was the difference-maker in that game.”

Butler certainly was a class apart, even back then. But, now he will not be reminiscing about the good old days under Coach Tibs. After all, he will be crucial to perhaps spelling the downfall of the New York Knicks.

Jimmy Buckets will be back in action for the Heat in Game 3

As things stand, the Round 2 series between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks sits at 1-1. The Heat stole the first game of the series thanks to some stellar play from Jimmy Butler and Co. However, this was also the game where Butler suffered an ankle injury, leading to much concern for Erik Spoelstra and the rest of the team.

After sitting out Game 2, a game where they lost to a superior Knicks team, it became clear just how crucial Butler is. Luckily, he will feature for the Heat in Game 3.

Tonight’s game certainly will be one to watch out for. Will Jimmy G. Buckets spell doom for the Knicks and Coach Thibodeau’s hopes of a long Playoff run? Only time will tell.