We’re nearly a full month removed from the blockbuster trade that sent Jimmy Butler from Minnesota to Philadelphia in a package that included Dario Saric and Robert Covington. With both the Sixers and Timberwolves playing well since completing that deal, Butler sat down with teammate J.J. Redick for an appearance on Redick’s podcast for The Ringer, revisiting the trade request that ultimately ended his time as a Timberwolf.
In addition to discussing his trade request and his initial thoughts on heading to Philadelphia, Butler also provided some new details on the year’s most-discussed scrimmage. Here are a few highlights from the All-NBA swingman:
On whether Philadelphia was on his radar as a possible destination after he requested a trade:
“It was. When they were talking, Minnesota and Philly, they liked the deal that they were starting to get and then put together. So that’s when I became kinda aware that I could end up in Philly. Did I think this was gonna be where I ended up? I didn’t think so. And the only reason I didn’t think so was because it’s like, Philly is already a really, really good team. If you put me on there, I would like to think I’m a good enough player to add a little something and maybe get us to the hump of Eastern Conference finals, maybe even Finals.”
On whether scheduling a one-on-one sitdown with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols on the same day as his infamous performance in practice was premeditated:
“Look, I did go to Marquette University, so I know you think I’m really that smart, but that’s not what happened. What happened was: This interview was planned three weeks ahead of time to talk about what was going on. So I would keep going into the office talking with management, talking with Thibs, and they would be like, ‘Hey, you need to come in and practice.’ I was like, ‘Thibs, what I need to come in and practice for? Y’all gonna trade me.’ What’s the point of practicing — going in there, getting up and down — and then I’m gonna be gone in a day. ‘Cause it was always like: ‘We almost got a deal, we almost got a deal, we almost got a deal.'”
More on that scrimmage, in which Butler teamed up with the Wolves’ third-stringers to beat the starters:
“We go into the practice, and I’m telling Thibs, ‘I just wanna hoop,’ like I just wanna get up and down. See if I can go. And we start doing some drills, and at the end we start hooping. Now that’s when all of the stuff goes on. We play, we win, and I’m yapping. I’m yapping, I’m yapping. I always talk, anyways. If you can’t tell, I’m always talking, talking about how somebody can’t guard me, or nobody can beat me. I do that. That’s what I do. This time it was just a little bit different ’cause of whose team I was on and I ain’t been around, so it was just taken up a notch and it didn’t help who was watching—ownership, management, all of that good stuff.”
On “the most interesting detail of that whole scrimmage that nobody knows”:
“I only shot the ball one time. I only shot the ball once. … I was dominating, but I only shot the ball once. Dimes, boom, boom, boom. Steals, blocks. I only shot the ball one time.”
God he sounds like such a moron when he talks… lol “Dimes, boom, boom, boom. Steals, blocks. I only shot the ball once.” like that’s rivaling Trump for worst sentence of the week… Okay maybe not I’m sure Trump’s got him beat but he’s giving him a run for his $
You’re not a baller are you?
Have you ever played some real hoop outside of your high school team? College, inner city playground?
And what does that have to do with anything. You can be an athlete and be smart just like you can be an idiot. In this case butler sounds and talks like a mental midget.
Not every talks like you and me.
Does that make them an idiot?
Your call.
Tell us about your NBA career Mr. Gary. Tell us how a real baller does real Hoops. Educate us. Now is your chance. Guys like us only played with chain mail inner city nets.
That’s what I’m talking about, chain Innercity nets.
When you go there does everybody talk like you? That’s where you’re going to find real ball by the way.
You should know that, if you go there.
So where did you play NBA ball Mr. Gary?
Where are you getting NBA ball from?
These are the words I used…, pay attention:
Inner City, playground, College.
Where you getting NBA from.
Just because I’m good doesn’t mean I played in the NBA LOL
Because you said College, high school or inner city playground. You are good in your own mind but what is left after college ball. Semi pro Jackie Moon ball. Did you play with Jackie Moon and now you are qualified to put down other people because you think you can ball. LOL You made the case and now you can’t back it up. LOL That is where NBA comes from Mr. Gary
Pay better attention when I explain to you your errors
I think you misunderstood. @Gary was talking about language not skill, and on the side of chain mail nets.
I do not think i did. He challenged the poster because in Garys opinion he should not comment because he did not know how to ball. Inner city ball is not ”real” basketball. He is saying all inner city kids sound different from people like us…I think that is wrong. All inner city youth DO NOT sound like Jimmy Butler. His post is full of bs, truth hurts.
“That’s where you are going to find real ball by the way.” HA! That might be more ridiculous than anything Butler said and that is saying something.
Don’t knock it unless you’ve tried it. And if you don’t know where to go, tell me your city and I’ll tell you where to go.
You might actually have a lot of fun and your skills will definitely be challenged.
He really does sound like an idiot. Thinks he sounds professional but actually so immature and unprofessional. Not a good teammate by way of these quotes.
Trumps statements are planned and written down. Butler was just casually speaking. Only an idiot would struggle to recognize the difference in context. Hopefully that isn’t you.
Planned and written down, and then he doesn’t read off them and says whatever he wants anyway.
Keep drinking the Kool Aid Mr. Reflect and you will have things to Reflect on. Plenty. Only an idiot will struggle to recognize that day is coming. Hopefully that isn’t you…..
Does someone need to compensate for something? All those millions and still sounds like a fool.
JJ Redick wrote it down, he understood what he was talking about.
Jj seems like a great teammate; Butler sounds like it wouldn’t take much to throw a teammate under the bus—as long as JB is content.
I won’t argue that.
I don’t get it: people don’t like the way Butler TALKS?
The guy is a basketball player, not a professional orator. Get over yourselves already.
And doesn’t change the fact that he sounds and talks like an idiot.
You’ve got a multi billion dollar industry of music where people supposedly sing (my take, I really don’t enjoy listening to rap music, but thats just me,) and the lyrics have them “sound like idiots” in your mind.
Pretty sharp, creative, intelligent, industrious community of people that are making it happen.
Definitely not “idiots” Arm.
Yeah kanye is certainly the brightest bulb in the lot. Real hip hop like krs 1 p.e. do not sound like mental midgets when they open their mouths.
Lyrics, Arm. The lyrics.
And let us look at the lyrics… are you really going to compare krs1 pe eric b & rakim to kanye?
If so it must be a generational thing, from the generation who actually used a pen and paper to the texting generation…
But to come back to the nba compare butler’s vocab to say lebron or mj or kg. Night and day…
My point is that the way Butler spoke, and some people that speak that way, are not idiots. That’s my only point here.
Well besides all the points I’ve scored at 10th and Lombard in Philly, Olbrich Park in Madison, Foster Beach and Jackson Park in Chicago, Liberty Park in Seattle or Renton… just to name a couple.
For sure sounding like an uneducated fool does not make you an idiot, just gives the appearance that you are.
obviously kat couldn’t guard butler from poking his girl
He’s really good. Period. I don’t give two craps whether he speaks at all.
This guy gets it.
I personally do not like Jimmy Butler, but he’s a heck of a basketball player.
Super interesting insight to that practice. Makes sense as to why there were mixed feelings about it, with a bunch of players going away energized, and other people feeling uncomfortable.
This guys sounds like someone easy to root against. Love to watch him play but dont at all like his personality
Seems a little “me first” for sure.
I love how mad Jimmy gets you guys lol. Y’all hate to see players get what they want.
No it’s how he went about it. But to be fair thibs had his share of responsibility in the affair.
Look at his words like they’re professional lingo (which they are) that he cannot or will not set aside for civilians.
Of course, people who do that are annoying. But when lawyers do it, they think they’re smart, not idiotic. And they’re probably right. Which is even more annoying.
But, the best testimony is in the participant’s own words and we are getting that and I for one like it. It’s not an essay for The Atlantic, but if there was one, these quotes would be informative.