Jimmy Butler was successful in forcing his way out of Minnesota, but the star swingman wants people to understand the difference between demanding a trade and becoming a problem within the locker room.
At his introductory press conference with the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, Butler was asked about some of the concerns regarding his character. He expressed confidence that none of his past teammates had issues with him.
Jimmy Butler at his Sixers intro:
"Unless everybody in my past locker room was just that fake, I don't think I was that big of a problem at all." pic.twitter.com/fgPFS4ZqpM
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 13, 2018
That sentiment was shared by 76ers general manager Elton Brand, who said the team spoke with some of Butler’s past teammates before trading for him.
As it pertains to Jimmy Butler's reported drama, GM Elton Brand says he spoke to former teammates, who said, "they loved him(in the locker room)."
— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) November 13, 2018
Even after he told the T-Wolves he wanted to be traded, Butler went out of his way to talk about how much he loves his teammates and insisted that wanting out had nothing to do with any of them. He even demonstrated that with an incredibly nice gesture for one Minnesota player last week.
Butler is obviously a difficult personality on some level, but that doesn’t mean guys dislike playing with him. Time will tell if he becomes a distraction on a contending team in Philadelphia.
