On Tuesday, ESPN's Nick Friedell went on The Jump and talked about how young Bulls players couldn't stand Dwyane Wade, and that a buyout of his contract was an inevitability, which is the only real reason that anybody is giving national attention to a Chicago team that they otherwise wouldn't give a second look given their recent standing.
This breathed new life into a more than seven-month old story that occurred this past January, where Wade publicly questioned the franchise's youngsters after a shitty loss to the Hawks. Jimmy Butler also questioned the team after that defeat, but he did so without singling out the less experienced players. Finally, to bring it full circle, Rajon Rondo took to his Instagram to publicly call-out Wade and Butler's leadership. The dysfunctional situation ended with Butler and Wade getting benched in the first quarter of their next game, in addition to a fine for all three veterans involved.
On Thursday, the Chicago Sun-Times talked to Jimmy Butler to get his two cents on the situation, in addition to a comment on the rumor that he has beef with his former teammate (obligatory reminder: Butler has since been dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves).
"Hell, probably some of them can’t stand or don’t like me," Butler told the Chicago Sun-Times. "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."
Butler also refuted a report that he and Wade had beefed during their sole season together in Chicago. "The only beef he and I could possibly have is who is a better dresser right now," he said. "For that [report] to be floating out there is crazy. As many dinners as me and him have had out here [in California], the trips we’ve taken this summer, I don’t think people that argue would be around each other as much as I like being around D-Wade.
‘‘I just continue to pick his brain and try and get to the level that he is on the basketball court—what he’s done, the way that he’s won. I love that guy like a brother, and he’s done so much for me. Let people talk, but no one knows what they are talking about unless it’s coming from me or D-Wade."
Finally, Butler spoke on the effect that the decision by the team brass to punish both he and Wade had on the second-half of the year.
"I just think they make it tough to be yourself, 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, and I’m happy about that—but if I am speaking on that time... I don’t think there’s nothing wrong with it.
‘‘Not to bring up the past, but that’s the way [Wade] felt," he added. "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.’’
Guess we'll see who blinks first on that buyout.
