Last month, there was a lot of talk about Jimmy Butler's decision leave adidas for Jordan Brand despite a 75 percent pay cut. Now, speaking with GQ, he's giving some insight on why it's about more than the cash for him.
"It’s not about the money. I do it because I love the game, for one. I think Mike takes care of his players. He’s always saying how this is a Jordan family," Butler said.
Like many of us, he's been a fan of Jordan since his early days. "I’ve always been a fan of Mike and his game. What he did for the game of basketball as a whole, and what he did off the court for it too, whether it was with Hanes or his shoe brand. But I’ve always been a fan of the tennis shoe," Butler said.
Apparently, Butler was also experiencing issues like turf toe and rolled ankles while wearing adidas sneakers. "That's never happened, whenever I was at Marquette with Jordan or before that, with Nike. So I thought maybe I should go back to that shoe. And then Jordan picked me up," Butler said.
The up-and-coming combo shooting guard/small forward also shared his thoughts on players like Nate Robinson and Nick Young wearing the Nike Air Yeezy II. "The Yeezy is not a basketball sneaker! I can't. I couldn't do it, because I know how my feet are... I mean, hell, I love them. I wear them all the time. But not to hoop in," Butler said.
Head over to GQ for the full interview, where you'll also find out Butler's favorite Jordan sneaker and what it feels like to open up a care package full of Jumpman gear.
