Jimmy Butler facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids
Jimmy Butler

Butler with the Miami Heat in 2020

No. 22 – Miami Heat

Small forward

Personal information

Born

September 14, 1989 (age 35)
Houston, Texas, U.S.

High school

Tomball (Tomball, Texas)

Listed height

6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)

Listed weight

230 lb (104 kg)

Career information

College

Tyler JC (2007–2008)
Marquette (2008–2011)

NBA Draft

2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 30th overall

Selected by the Chicago Bulls

Pro career

2011–present

League

NBA

Career history

2011–2017

Chicago Bulls

2017–2018

Minnesota Timberwolves

2018–2019

Philadelphia 76ers

2019–present

Miami Heat

Career highlights and awards

6× NBA All-Star (2015–2018, 2020, 2022)
All-NBA Second Team (2023)
4× All-NBA Third Team (2017, 2018, 2020, 2021)
5× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2014–2016, 2018, 2021)
NBA Most Improved Player (2015)
NBA steals leader (2021)

Medals

Men's basketball

Representing the United States
Olympic Games
Gold	2016 Rio de Janeiro	Team

Jimmy Butler III (born September 14, 1989) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association (NBA). People sometimes call him "Jimmy Buckets".

Butler is a very talented player. He has been chosen as an NBA All-Star six times. He has also been named to the All-NBA Team five times and the NBA All-Defensive Team five times. In 2016, he won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team.

He started his college basketball career at Tyler Junior College. Then, he moved to Marquette University. The Chicago Bulls picked him in the 2011 NBA draft. In 2015, he was named the NBA Most Improved Player. After playing for the Bulls, he joined the Minnesota Timberwolves and then the Philadelphia 76ers. In 2019, he signed with the Miami Heat. He led the Heat to the NBA Finals in his first season. In 2021, he led the league in steals. In 2023, he helped the Heat reach the 2023 NBA Finals again.

Early Life and Challenges
College Basketball Journey
Professional Basketball Career
Career Statistics
- NBA
- College
Personal Life and Hobbies
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Challenges

Jimmy Butler was born in Houston on September 14, 1989. His father left when he was a baby. When he was 13, his mother asked him to leave their home in Tomball.

After leaving home, Butler stayed with different friends for a few weeks at a time. He later said he doesn't hold grudges and still talks to his parents.

Before his last year at Tomball High School, he met Jordan Leslie during a summer basketball league. They became good friends. Butler then lived with Leslie's family, who had six other children. Butler said they welcomed him into their family because they were loving, not because of basketball.

In high school, Butler improved a lot. As a junior, he scored 10 points per game. As a senior, he averaged 19.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He was named his team's most valuable player. After high school, he went to Tyler Junior College because he wasn't recruited by bigger schools.

College Basketball Journey

After his first year at Tyler Junior College, where he averaged 18.1 points per game, bigger schools noticed Butler. He was seen as a promising junior college player.

Butler received a scholarship to play at Marquette University. In his first year at Marquette (2008–09), he averaged 5.6 points per game. He became a starter in his junior year (2009–10), averaging 14.7 points and 6.4 rebounds. He made two game-winning shots that year. In his senior year (2010–11), he averaged 15.7 points per game.

Professional Basketball Career

Chicago Bulls: Starting Strong (2011–2017)

The Chicago Bulls picked Jimmy Butler as the 30th player in the 2011 NBA draft. He played 42 games in his first season. The next year, he played all 82 games. He started to play more minutes and became a key player. In 2013, he scored a career-high 28 points in a game. He also got his first double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

In the 2013–14 season, Butler played the most minutes per game in the NBA. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for his great defense.

In 2014, Butler continued to improve. He scored a new career-high of 35 points. In January 2015, he was chosen as an NBA All-Star for the first time. In May 2015, he won the NBA Most Improved Player award. He was the first Bulls player to win this award.

In July 2015, Butler signed a big contract with the Bulls. He kept setting new scoring records, including 43 points in one game and a career-high 53 points in another. He became the first Bulls player since 2004 to score 50 points. He was voted to play in the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, but an injury kept him from playing. He also recorded his first two triple-doubles that season.

In the 2016–17 season, Butler continued to shine. He scored 40 points multiple times. On January 2, 2017, he scored 52 points, almost his career high. He was named a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. He also recorded two more triple-doubles.

Minnesota Timberwolves: A New Team (2017–2018)

In June 2017, Butler was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In his first game with the Timberwolves, he scored 12 points. He had several high-scoring games, including 33 points, 38 points, and a season-high 39 points in an overtime win.

In January 2018, he was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve. He chose not to play in the All-Star Game to rest for the rest of the season. In February, he had knee surgery and was out for a while. He returned in April to help the Timberwolves in the playoffs, but they lost in five games.

Before the 2018–19 season, Butler asked to be traded from the Timberwolves. He played in 10 games before he was traded in November.

Philadelphia 76ers: Short Stay (2018–2019)

In November 2018, Butler was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. He scored 14 points in his first game with the team. He quickly made an impact, hitting a game-winning shot against the Brooklyn Nets. He also scored a season-high 38 points twice.

In the playoffs, Butler played a big role. He scored 36 points in a game against the Nets. He also had 30 points and 11 rebounds in a game against the Toronto Raptors. The 76ers lost in a very close Game 7 of the second round.

Miami Heat: Finals Appearances (2019–Present)

In July 2019, Butler signed with the Miami Heat. He quickly became a leader for the team. In December, he had a career-high 18 rebounds, along with 20 points and 11 assists. In January 2020, he was named to his fifth NBA All-Star Game. He also scored a season-high 38 points against his old team, the Philadelphia 76ers.

In the 2020 NBA playoffs, Butler led the Heat to the NBA Finals. This was his first time reaching the Finals. In Game 3 of the Finals, he had an amazing performance with 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. He became only the third player in Finals history to get a 40-point triple-double. In Game 5, he had 35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and five steals, making him the first player to reach those stats in a Finals game.

The Heat lost the Finals in six games. Butler led his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, which is a very rare achievement.

In the 2020–21 season, Butler continued to make triple-doubles. He became the first Heat player to have three triple-doubles in a row. He also led the league in steals with 2.1 steals per game.

In August 2021, Butler signed a new contract with the Heat. In January 2022, he passed LeBron James for the most triple-doubles in Heat history. In February, he was named an All-Star for the sixth time. The Heat finished the season as the top team in the Eastern Conference.

In the 2022 NBA playoffs, Butler had some incredible games. He scored 45 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. In the Eastern Conference finals, he scored 41 points in Game 1 against the Boston Celtics. In Game 6, facing elimination, he scored a playoff career-high 47 points to force a Game 7. His 47 points were one of the highest scores ever for a player facing elimination. The Heat lost the series in Game 7, even with Butler scoring 35 points.

In the 2022–23 season, Butler continued to lead the Heat. He scored a season-high 35 points multiple times. In one game, he made all 23 of his free throws, tying an NBA record. He also made a game-winning dunk and a game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.

In the 2023 NBA playoffs, Butler led the Heat, who were the eighth seed, on an amazing run. He scored 35 points in Game 1 against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. In Game 4, he set a Miami Heat playoff record with 56 points! He followed that with 42 points in Game 5, helping the Heat win the series. He became the first Heat player to have back-to-back 40-point playoff games.

The Heat reached the 2023 NBA Finals after beating the Boston Celtics in seven games. Butler was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. The Heat lost the Finals to the Denver Nuggets in five games.

In the 2023–24 season, Butler continued to have strong performances. He scored 36 points in a win over the Brooklyn Nets. He also hit a game-winning shot against the Chicago Bulls. In March 2024, he scored a season-high 37 points. Unfortunately, Butler missed the 2024 NBA playoffs due to a knee injury.

In November 2024, Butler scored 33 points in an overtime win. In December, he had 35 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game, a very rare stat line in NBA history.

Career Statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2011–12	Chicago	42	0	8.5	.405	.182	.768	1.3	.3	.3	.1	2.6
2012–13	Chicago	82*	20	26.0	.467	.381	.803	4.0	1.4	1.0	.4	8.6
2013–14	Chicago	67	67	38.7	.397	.283	.769	4.9	2.6	1.9	.5	13.1
2014–15	Chicago	65	65	38.7*	.462	.378	.834	5.8	3.3	1.8	.6	20.0
2015–16	Chicago	67	67	36.9	.454	.312	.832	5.3	4.8	1.6	.6	20.9
2016–17	Chicago	76	75	37.0	.455	.367	.865	6.2	5.5	1.9	.4	23.9
2017–18	Minnesota	59	59	36.7	.474	.350	.854	5.3	4.9	2.0	.4	22.2
2018–19	Minnesota	10	10	36.1	.471	.378	.787	5.2	4.3	2.4	1.0	21.3
2018–19	Philadelphia	55	55	33.2	.461	.338	.868	5.3	4.0	1.8	.5	18.2
2019–20	Miami	58	58	33.8	.455	.244	.834	6.7	6.0	1.8	.6	19.9
2020–21	Miami	52	52	33.6	.497	.245	.863	6.9	7.1	2.1*	.3	21.5
2021–22	Miami	57	57	33.9	.480	.233	.870	5.9	5.5	1.6	.5	21.4
2022–23	Miami	64	64	33.4	.539	.350	.850	5.9	5.3	1.8	.3	22.9
2023–24	Miami	60	60	34.0	.499	.414	.858	5.3	5.0	1.3	.3	20.8
Career		814	709	33.2	.470	.329	.844	5.3	4.3	1.6	.4	18.3
All-Star		4	1	12.7	.750	.000	—	1.8	1.5	1.8	.0	4.5

Play-in

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2023	Miami	2	2	40.7	.395	.000	.857	4.5	6.0	2.0	.5	26.0
2024	Miami	1	1	39.7	.278	.333	.875	4.0	5.0	5.0	.0	19.0
Career		3	3	40.3	.361	.222	.862	4.3	5.7	3.0	3	23.7

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2012	Chicago	3	0	1.3	—	—	—	.0	.0	.0	.0	.0
2013	Chicago	12	12	40.8	.435	.405	.818	5.2	2.7	1.3	.5	13.3
2014	Chicago	5	5	43.6	.386	.300	.783	5.2	2.2	1.4	.0	13.6
2015	Chicago	12	12	42.2	.441	.389	.819	5.6	3.2	2.4	.8	22.9
2017	Chicago	6	6	39.8	.426	.261	.809	7.3	4.3	1.7	.8	22.7
2018	Minnesota	5	5	34.0	.444	.471	.833	6.0	4.0	.8	.2	15.8
2019	Philadelphia	12	12	35.1	.451	.267	.875	6.1	5.2	1.4	.6	19.4
2020	Miami	21	21	38.4	.488	.349	.859	6.5	6.0	2.0	.7	22.2
2021	Miami	4	4	38.5	.297	.267	.727	7.5	7.0	1.3	.3	14.5
2022	Miami	17	17	37.0	.506	.338	.841	7.4	4.6	2.1	.6	27.4
2023	Miami	22	22	39.7	.468	.359	.806	6.5	5.9	1.8	.6	26.9
Career		119	116	37.9	.460	.347	.830	6.2	4.6	1.7	.6	21.3

College

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2008–09	Marquette	35	0	19.6	.514	.000	.768	3.9	.7	.5	.5	5.6
2009–10	Marquette	34	34	34.3	.530	.500	.766	6.4	2.0	1.3	.6	14.7
2010–11	Marquette	37	35	34.6	.490	.345	.783	6.1	2.3	1.4	.4	15.7
Career		106	69	29.6	.508	.383	.773	5.5	1.7	1.1	.5	12.0

Personal Life and Hobbies

Jimmy Butler studied communications in college. He enjoys country and emo music. He even appeared in music videos for country singer Luke Bryan and the band Fall Out Boy.

He is good friends with actor Mark Wahlberg. They met when Wahlberg was filming in Chicago. Butler became a fan of soccer after watching Neymar Jr. play in the 2016 Olympics. His favorite team is Paris Saint Germain, and Neymar is his favorite player.

Butler has three children with his former girlfriend. He missed the start of the 2019–20 NBA season because he was on paternity leave after his first child was born.

During the 2020 NBA Bubble, Butler started a small coffee business called "Big Face Coffee" from his hotel room. He charged $20 for each cup! A year later, he officially launched his coffee brand. He plans to focus on this business after he retires from basketball.

In 2023, Butler filed a trademark for "Himmy Butler." This nickname came from a popular internet meme. He plans to use it for his own clothing and drink brand. Butler is also a Christian.

He is featured in a Netflix show called "Starting 5". This show follows him and other NBA stars during the 2023–24 season.