Popular sports journalist Taylor Rooks kicked off her new show, Take It There with Taylor Rooks, by challenging NBA introvert Jimmy Butler to open up for an introspective interview.
Since entering the league in 2011, Jimmy Butler has let his tenacious on-court spirit speak for him. In fact, Butler only opens himself up to the media to explain how his fiercely competitive nature can cause locker room friction. As a result, fans are excited to hear Butler talk candidly about himself while also displaying this will to win via a friendly game of spades. Because of his noted passion for hoops, one of the biggest takeaways from this conversation was Butler admitting that he seriously contemplated quitting the sport.
"I would say when I wanted to quit basketball forever at Marquette," Butler responded when asked to described one of the lowest points in his life. "I was like, 'Yeah, you know what? This basketball thing ain't for me.'" Butler then went on to explain that the transition from Texas, where he grew up and attended Junior College, to the cold of Milwaukee made him feel distant and alone.
"I mean you're so far away from home and to tell the truth I ain't do no research I didn't know that it snowed, that it got cold. I didn't know anything," Butler said. "So I went up there like I was still in Texas... but the one guy that did help me—I'll tell you this—is Joe Fulce we went to Marquette together... The fact you just had somebody to listen to you definitely helped."
In addition to these introspective question, Butler explained why he started wearing his unique headband while jokingly taking objection to Rooks likening it to the "Ninja Turtles."
"It's not a Ninja Turtle headband," Butler laughed. "Kyrie wore it, Jrue [Holiday] wore it, and I was like, 'let me go 'head and get in on it.' I'd tie it around my neck and wear it as a bow."
