You might be a young hotshot in the NBA but when you go up against the greatest of all time, you better not miss. Because if you do, you will be losing to a legend. Jimmy Butler once had to face off against Michael Jordan. La Cabra – he called him later on. You can guess what that means.
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It is not often that you get a chance to face off against one of the greatest ever to touch a rock. So you better put up your a-game right?
Well, Jimmy Butler had this exact opportunity, eight years ago, at the 2015 Jordan Brand “First to Fly” training camp in Las Vegas. The camp was designed for young players to learn from Jordan and other NBA stars and featured a series of skills drills and competitions.
Michael Jordan at age 52, still took care of Jimmy Butler, easily!
Yes, true story! When the two met, Butler was still in the nascent stages of his NBA career. He was finishing his 4th year in the league and had picked up MIP honors. Jimmy’s name was going to go places.
So he caught Jordan’s attention at the camp. His shooting and competitive spirit reminded MJ of himself. The two also took part in a competition with kids.
Jordan beat out Jimmy. Of course, you can’t discount the greatest ever, even when it is a warmup game. “La Cabra“, as per Bleacher Report, Jimmy referred to Jordan as “the goat” in Spanish.
Why does Jimmy get compared to Michael Jordan?
Well, to put it bluntly, both are highly competitive. Apart from the several rumors and silly takes, Jimmy and Jordan are alike. In spirit at least.
They are known for their tenacity, drive, and determination to win, and have a reputation for pushing themselves and their teammates to be their best. Both players have also faced challenges in their careers. Jordan was famously cut from his high school basketball team and Butler was overlooked in the NBA draft.
Today, one is a billionaire and the other is leading a slightly bruised and battered Miami Heat deep in the postseason.
