Home

NBA

“What Happened to Me…”: Jimmy Butler Finds Love in Mother’s Devastating Abandonment That Ignited Burden at Age of 13

Published 05/26/2023, 11:30 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Imago

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has one of the most incredible stories in the NBA. Although he is one of the biggest superstars in the league today, Butler never had it easy in life. In fact, he never knew who his biological father was! His father had abandoned Butler and his mother when he was just an infant. To make matters worse, his mother would do the same thing after a decade. She kicked her son out of her house, which started his journey to make it big in the NBA.

Despite facing all such adversities, the six-time NBA All-Star managed to make it big in life and in the sport. Years after all the heartbreak, it seems Butler has no remorse.

Jimmy Butler opens up on the troubles he has faced since childhood

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Jimmy Butler spent a huge chunk of his childhood scrounging for a place to live. He was kicked out of his house by his mother at age 13. “I don’t like the look of you. You gotta go”, said his mother.

via Imago

From age 13 to 17, Butler was spending his nights crashing at his friend’s place. He usually spent more than one night in one place. However, the youngster never stayed long enough to feel like a burden.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

His fortunes changed when he met Jordan Leslie during a high school basketball camp. Leslie and Butler grew closer by the day and in no time, they had become family. Despite having a large family, Leslie’s mother insisted that Jimmy Butler moved in with them.

There was no stopping the future NBA star from that point thereon. He attended college, was picked by the Chicago Bulls during the 2011 NBA draft, and has since then become one of the faces of the league.

When asked whether he feels sad and sorry for all the things that happened in his life, Butler got brutally honest. He said, “There’s nothing to feel sorry about. I love what happened to me. It made me who I am. I’m grateful for the challenges I’ve faced.”

Butler, who was recently slapped with a huge fine, has earned millions from the NBA. Surely his biological mother and father will be disappointed with how they treated their talented child.

Butler has the hustler mindset

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Having been through a lot since his childhood, Jimmy Butler knows the importance of hustling and making money. Not only the NBA, but the Heat star makes a good chunk of money from his coffee chain.

He launched the Big Face Coffee brand in 2021 in Orlando. Interestingly, the roots of the coffee brand were laid in the NBA Orlando Bubble 2020. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

WATCH THIS STORY: “Star studded courtside witness Jimmy Butler masterclass at MSG as Suga and NBA legend Patrick Ewing watch him steal a win vs the Knicks”

What is your favorite moment of Jimmy Butler? Let us know in the comments below.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Abhinava Ghosh

1,823Articles

One take at a time

Abhinava Ghosh is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports with a wealth of experience covering the league. He has written over 1400 articles for EssentiallySports, showcasing his expertise in analyzing and reporting on NBA trade rumors, injury updates, and the ever-changing dynamics of the league. He had successfully covered the entire Kevin Durant trade saga at Brooklyn, which led to the basketball legend’s move to the Desert.
Show More>

Edited by:

Debmallya Chakraborty