Jimmy Butler Explains Why He Left The 76ers

Jimmy Butler is one of the most polarizing players in the entire NBA. He was a rising star on the Chicago Bulls before working his way off the team and joining the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was quite clear that Butler didn’t really get along with people on the team and eventually, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers where he enjoyed a decent amount of success. After playing less than one season with the squad, Butler decided to move on to the Miami Heat where he is now thriving.

Recently, Butler appeared on The JJ Redick Podcast where he spoke to his former teammate about his time in the city of Brother Love. Redick asked Butler why he left the city and the star had a pretty solid answer. While much of it had to do with the lack of leadership within the organization, Butler felt as if the team wanted to control him which was something he wasn’t interested in.

Per Butler:

“Somebody told me a main reason that I didn’t go back was because somebody asked: ‘Can you control him?’ Like: ‘Can you control Jimmy? If you can control Jimmy, we would think about having him back.’ I was like: ‘You don’t gotta worry about it. S–t, can’t nobody f–king control me.’ For one, I ain’t just out there doing no bulls–t, but the fact that you’re trying to control a grown man? Naw, I’m cool. Because I don’t do nothing that’s just drastically f–king stupidly crazy. I do not do that. So don’t sit here and come at me with the: ‘Oh, we gotta try to control him.’ Nah, you good. Don’t even worry about it. … You ain’t gotta worry about me coming. If that’s what y’all worried about, if that’s what y’all worried about, I think man, good luck to y’all.”

So there you have it. If you’ve been wondering why Butler got out of dodge, you now know why. Realistically, this is something that could have been predicted, especially with how the 76ers are playing this season.