Jimmy Butler is one of the superstars of the NBA. While he has been a solid player for years, his move to the Miami Heat helped him prove how he impacts winning. He took the Heat to the NBA Finals and solidify his reputation as a player who may not be flashy, but can build a championship culture on a team.

The Heat are struggling this season, and there are a lot of off-court issues that have impacted it. But Butler’s status is solidified. His mentor, Dwyane Wade, spoke about how he truly felt of Jimmy when he was coming into the NBA.

“Jimmy was a hustle man. The guy who defends and knocks down some corner threes. But I really didn’t see none of Jimmy like that. So the draft comes and Jimmy gets drafted 30th pick and I said ‘Wow! Good for Jimmy.’ He made it in the NBA, but I didn’t think he was gonna be that good.”

Wade also joked about how Butler’s emergence changed their relationship.“He changed on me. It goes from me saying ‘damn, good for Jimmy’ to me having to call Jimmy at some point later on in my career and say ‘hey man can I come to Chicago?'”

Jimmy Butler: Can he turn it around for Miami?

Jimmy Butler was a grit-and-grind player who fought his heart out on the court when he first came into the league. He didn’t have the same finesse as most players, but he had a motor and high-IQ plays to back him up. As the finesse started to develop, Butler became a perennial all-star.

READ MORE: “I Realized This is a Business”: Jimmy Butler Reveals How Dwyane Wade Convinced Him to Join Miami Heat

While many have been claiming Butler as an underrated player since he was in Chicago, his stint in Miami has helped him be established as one of the best players in the league. Not bad for a player expected to just be a hustle guy who could make threes.