Jimmy Butler: Being voted All-Star starter would mean ‘absolutely nothing’
Jimmy Butler doesn’t give a hoot about your #NBAVote.
Before Tuesday’s game against Dallas, Butler, who was selected to his second career All-Star team last year and attended the festivities despite being injured, said that being voted an All-Star starter this year would mean “absolutely nothing” to him, per KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
Butler, who attended All-Star weekend last year even when injured, claims getting voted an All-Star starter would mean "absolutely nothing."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 17, 2017
Tell us how you really feel, Jimmy.
Butler finished fifth, then fourth in All-Star voting among Eastern Conference backcourt players the last two seasons. This year, he has been reclassified as a frontcourt player and is currently fifth in that grouping, trailing Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers by less than 75,000 votes for the final starting spot.
But it’s become harder and harder in recent years to take fan voting seriously, which compelled the NBA to institute this preventative measure. As for Butler, who is averaging 24.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season (both career-highs) and is one of the best two-way players in the league today, he’s a virtual lock to be an All-Star again this year, regardless of whether or not he starts. Couple that with the fact that he’s trying to carry a 21-21 Bulls team that’s clinging for dear life to the eighth seed in the East, and it’s easy to see why he might be somewhat apathetic.
