Jimmy Butler revealed the story behind the birth of his famous nickname – “Jimmy Buckets”. Explains how a former champ gave him the name, even before he scored a point in the NBA.
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Apart from being one of the strongest players in the league, Jimmy Butler is one of the hardest workers in the league currently. Always playing with a chip on his shoulder, the grit, determination, and energy Butler plays with is absolutely unreal.
The Miami Heat forward has come a long way ever since he was first drafted as a young 22-year-old. Establishing himself as one of the more premier two-way superstars, the 6-foot-7 former MIP is a menace on both sides of the floor.
And in the span of his decade-long career, for someone who was unranked nationally, Butler has built up quite an illustrious resume – 5 All-Star selections, 4 All-NBA selections, 5 All-Defensive selections, 1-time steal champ, the 2015 MIP, and even led the Heat to a phenomenal run to the NBA Finals in the Bubble.
“Stacey King gave me the nickname in 2011”: Jimmy Butler
With a career average of 17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4 assists, one would not really call Jimmy a pure scorer. However, his nickname says something else. Enthusiasts, analysts, and former legends refer to the former 30th pick as “Jimmy Buckets”.
However apt that maybe, or may not be, fans have always wondered where the star got this cool nickname from. Back in January, after the conclusion of the NBA Bubble season, Butler appeared on GQ Sports’ “Actually Me”, where he went undercover to answer a few fan questions from Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, among many other social media platforms.
One of the many questions was – “How Jimmy Butler even get the nickname Jimmy Buckets?”
To which Jimmy revealed the origin behind the nickname:
“Stacey King gave me that nickname easily before I ever scored a basket in the NBA. So the nickname never really made sense. And then I started to score a little bit, and it started to come into its own. But Stacey King gave me that in 2011 when I barely played because Thibs (coach Tom Thibodeau) never wanted to play me. And now I guess I score pretty decently. So that’s how Jimmy Butler even get the nickname Jimmy buckets.”
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This season, Jimmy “Buckets” has been on a tear. Averaging 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, Butler has been leading the Miami Heat to a 13-7 record. The way the squad has been playing, they could surely make a deep playoffs run yet again.
