Lance Stephenson Fires Back at Jimmy Butler's Comments About Him: 'That Boy Look Up to Me'

"You love my game don’t be scared to say it."

Lance Stephenson of Liaoning Flying Leopards reacts as he attends a training session.
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Lance Stephenson of Liaoning Flying Leopards reacts as he attends a training session.

Lance Stephenson doesn't know how to interpret Jimmy Butler's remark about him during his appearance on the Winging It With Vince Carter podcast

Butler, who was selected 30th overall in the 2011 Draft by the Chicago Bulls, revealed that he knew early on in his NBA career that there was an opportunity for him to get playing time after seeing who else in the league was actually getting minutes before singling out Stephenson.

"I was watching guys play, and I was like, 'I know I’m not that good of a basketball player, but I know I can make it if this guy can make it," Butler said. "I always saw Lance Stephenson. I saw him, and I was like, 'Nah man, if he in the league then I can be in the league. He is a talented ass player, don't get me wrong, but if he can do it, I can do it." 

That last sentence where Butler calls Stephenson "a talented ass player" was omitted from the tweet that was included in Born Ready's response. 

From what he was able to take from Butler's comment, Lance didn't seem too pleased with hearing Jimmy Buckets slander him.   

"That boy look up to me don’t downgrade talent I motivate you to work hard and get in that gym," Stephenson wrote. "You love my game don’t be scared to say it."

If Stephenson heard the part where Butler acknowledged that he was "a talented ass player," maybe there wouldn't be an issue. Then again, Jimmy Buckets still did sort of imply that Lance was among those players who weren't deserving of the minutes they were getting. 

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