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“He’s going to get on you”: Former Teammate Reveals Intricate Details About Jimmy Butler

Published 10/30/2020, 3:30 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague were teammates in the Minnesota Timberwolves during season 2017-18. It was a bit after that when honoring Butler’s request for a trade; he was sent to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, a lot has changed since then, and Butler is now part of this season’s NBA Finals contenders, Miami Heat.

The now Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler was brought to the Timberwolves in 2017 to breathe life into a team that was missing from the playoffs run since 2004. With no time to spare, Butler helped them to clinch eighth playoff seed in the Western Conference. As soon as the fate changed for the Timberwolves, rumors began to make rounds about Butler’s rift with his teammates, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.

This began during a practice session before the 2018-19 season began. Butler called out both of them for something which was taken offensively. There was no turning back from that. However, Jeff Teague still has pleasant things to say about his former teammate.

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USA Today via Reuters

Jimmy Butler and his time with Minnesota Timberwolves

Point guard Jeff Teague had a conversation with ‘Hoops Hype’ about several topics. One of them is Jimmy Butler’s time with him and the team in 2017. They asked, “You also touched on Jimmy. What were your thoughts on the team and the locker room dynamic?”

“The first year, we were nice,” Teague stated, “If Jimmy didn’t get hurt, I think we’re a top-five seed in the West. Our team was good. We were locked in. Jimmy just wants to win. He doesn’t care how many points he scores. Doesn’t care about the assists. He just wants to win.”

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The Heat star just wants to win

USA Today via Reuters

Teague elaborated on what he admires about Butler.  He asserted, “That’s what I loved about him. I don’t think anybody really had a problem with that. He’s hard-nosed, so he wants to win at any cost, so he’s going to get on you. As a player, you’ve got to be able to accept that. I think, for the most part, most of the guys accepted that he’s going to get on you because he’s going to work just as hard.

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“You can get back on him because he wants that kind of energy too. As a veteran, I loved that. If I’m not in the right spot, get on me. If you’re not in the right spot, I’m going to get on you. I think that’s what helped our team get a lot better.”

All that happened is in the past, Butler found his home in Miami Heat. Every player in the team looks up to Butler and knows how important it is for Butler to just win. Thus, as a whole, that’s what they aim for and strive to achieve.

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Written by:

Yashima Bhatia

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Yashima Bhatia is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports who specialises in providing nuanced predictions and updates for matches. She has a Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Yashima's love for playing the game came up at a young age, when the excitement of the games coupled with the intensity of the Playoffs had her hooked.
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