Jimmy Butler threw cold water on a report claiming that Dwyane Wade‘s younger teammates in Chicago “can’t stand” him.
— Sun-Times Basketball (@suntimes_hoops) August 24, 2017
Butler, who was traded by the Bulls to Minnesota this summer, says he loves D-Wade “like a brother.”
Wade, 35, is expected to negotiate a buyout from the Windy City next season:
Jimmy Butler offered a message to some of his former young Bulls teammates that may have this “so-called dislike” for Dwyane Wade.
“Hell, probably some of them can’t stand or don’t like me,’’ Butler told the Sun-Times in a phone interview Thursday. “That’s fine. I’m still waking up fortunate and blessed every day just like Dwyane is. He still has a fabulous family, and a lot more important things to worry about than the opinions of others.
“But if they dislike him because the guy wants to win, well, then that team has some serious problems on the way.”
Veteran Rajon Rondo then took to his Instagram account, attacking the leadership abilities of both Wade and Butler, and by the time the dust settled and a team meeting took place, all three players found themselves fined by the organization, with Butler and Wade also receiving a first-quarter benching.
“I just think they make it tough to be yourself [by doing that], to be who you are and express yourself the way you want to express yourself,” Butler said. “I’m not a part of that organization anymore. I’m with the Minnesota Timberwolves, I’m happy about that, but if I am speaking on that time – because I remember what I said as well – I don’t think there’s nothing wrong with it. Not to bring up the past, but I mean that’s the way he felt. I said some things too, and we talked about it and we both said, ‘Yo, I’m not taking back anything.’ There’s no reason for disliking a guy for speaking the truth.”
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