“Sh#t! He Talking to Derrick Rose Like That?”: Rookie Jimmy Butler Was Surprised By the Bulls Culture, With No Special Treatment to 2011 MVP

By the end of the 2000s, a young Derrick Rose was one of the best players in the league fighting the likes of LeBron James and Dwight Howard for the league’s most prestigious individual accolade.

A rookie Jimmy Butler came into the league in 2011 as the 30th pick for the Bulls, the same year Rose had won his MVP award being the youngest one to receive that honor.

However, when Butler first saw the treatment Rose was getting in a Bulls practice session taught him some of the best lessons for becoming a great player with values in the game of basketball.

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Bulls players cursing Derrick Rose out taught Jimmy Butler valuable lessons

When it’s all said and done, the Heat main man is going to be a First Ballot Hall of Famer. The foremost quality of him that makes him one of the best players in the league is grit, determination, and down-to-earth behavior.

Most of which he believes came from the culture the Chicago Bulls had when Jimmy came in as a rookie. In an interview with Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes on his podcast Posted Up, Butler opened up about how Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah would curse Rose out for not completing his assignment during the practice as if he were just another All-Star.

“He Talking to D-Rose Like That?” Jimmy, who wouldn’t even get to practice with the second team at the time, wondered in surprise.

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Jimmy still carries those values with him

His time in Chicago was enough for Jimmy to learn how much ever he goes on to achieve in this league, he has got to stay as grounded as Rose and also be appreciative of the culture he learned with the Bulls.

To this day, the 6x All-Star lives by it and has tried implementing those learnings with the leadership skills he has developed over the years playing for the Wolves, Sixers, and now the Heat.

Miami is where he found that similar or even better culture. Pat Riley, being the brains behind one of the most solid teams in the league, helps Butler in instilling those values in younger players.

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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.

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