Jimmy Butler

Early life

Butler was born in Houston on September 14, 1989. His father, Jimmy Butler Jr., left the family when Butler was an infant. Butler lived with his mother in the Houston suburb of Tomball, until she kicked him out of the house when he was 13 years old. As Butler remembered it in a 2011 interview, she told him, "I don't like the look of you. You gotta go." He moved between the homes of various friends, staying for a few weeks at a time before moving to another house. Butler maintains a relationship with his parents, saying, "I don't hold grudges. I still talk to my family. My mom. My father. We love each other. That's never going to change."

In a summer basketball league before his senior year at Tomball High School, he was noticed by Jordan Leslie, a freshman football and basketball player at the school, who challenged him to a three-point shooting contest. The two became friends, and Butler stayed at Leslie's house for a few months, Leslie's mother and stepfather had six other children between them. Butler would later say, "They accepted me into their family. And it wasn't because of basketball. She [Michelle Lambert, Leslie's mother] was just very loving. She just did stuff like that. I couldn't believe it."

As a junior at Tomball High, Butler averaged 10 points per game. As a senior and team captain in 2006–07, Butler averaged 19.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and was subsequently voted his team's most valuable player.

Butler was not recruited coming out of high school and chose to attend Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas.

College career

After his freshman season at Tyler Junior College, where he had averaged 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, Butler received interest from Division I programs. Considered a two-star recruit by 247Sports.com, he was listed as the no. 127 junior college prospect in 2008.

Butler accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Marquette University, where, as a sophomore in the 2008–09 season, he averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and recorded a free-throw percentage of 76.8%. He moved into the Golden Eagles' starting lineup as a junior during the 2009–10 season to average 14.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and received All-Big East Honorable Mention honors. Butler had two game-winning shots versus UConn and St. John's, to help Marquette finish 11–7 in the Big East and earn its fifth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. As a senior in 2010–11, he averaged 15.7 points per game and received All-Big East Honorable Mention for the second straight year.

Professional career

Chicago Bulls (2011–2017)

Butler was selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. He played 42 games during the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season. The following season, he played all 82 games for the Bulls. Butler played limited minutes to begin the 2012–13 season. His minutes increased over the second half of the season and he started in all 12 playoff games. In an April 9, 2013, regular season game, Butler scored a then career-high 28 points in a 101–98 loss against the Toronto Raptors. Two days later, he recorded his first NBA double-double game with 22 points and a then career-high 14 rebounds against the New York Knicks.

Butler missed 15 games due to injury in the 2013–14 season, but averaged a career-high and season league-high 38.7 minutes per game in the 67 in which he played. He scored a season-high 26 points against the Memphis Grizzlies on December 30. He set a franchise record when he played 60:20 in a triple-overtime game against the Orlando Magic on January 15, finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. At the season's end, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

On November 25, 2014, Butler tied a career high with 32 points in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. On December 3, 2014, he was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for games played in October/November. He set a new career high of 35 points in a 103–97 win over the New York Knicks on December 18. On January 29, 2015, Butler was named a reserve for the Eastern Conference in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. On March 2, 2015, he was ruled out for three to six weeks with a left elbow injury. He returned to play on March 23 against the Charlotte Hornets, recording 19 points and 9 rebounds in a 98–86 win.

On April 20, Butler set a playoff career high for the second straight game, scoring 31 points in the Bulls' 91–82 win over the Milwaukee Bucks to take a 2–0 lead in their first-round series. On April 25, Butler again set a playoff career high with 33 points, in a Bulls' 92–90 loss to the Bucks, holding their series lead to 3–2. They went on to win game 6 of the series, moving them onto the conference semifinals where they lost 4–2 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. On May 7, he was named the 2014–15 NBA Most Improved Player and became the first player in franchise history to win the award.

On July 9, 2015, Butler re-signed with the Bulls to a five-year, $95 million contract. The deal included a player option for the fifth year. On December 9, he scored a then career-high 36 points in a loss to the Boston Celtics. He topped that mark with 43 points on December 18 in a 147–144 quadruple overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons. On January 3, Butler broke Michael Jordan's team record for points in a half, scoring 40 of his 42 after the break to lead the Bulls to a 115–113 win over the Toronto Raptors. Two days later, he recorded 32 points and a then season-high 10 assists in a 117–106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. On January 14, he scored a career-high 53 points in a 115–111 overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Butler had 10 rebounds and six assists while making 15-of-30 field goals and 21-of-25 free throws to help the Bulls end a three-game losing streak. He became the first Bulls player to score 50 points in a game since Jamal Crawford in 2004.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2017–2018)

On June 22, 2017, Butler was traded, along with the rights to Justin Patton (the 16th pick in the 2017 NBA draft), to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the rights to Lauri Markkanen (the seventh pick in the 2017 NBA draft). In his debut for the Timberwolves in their season opener on October 18, Butler scored 12 points in a 107–99 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. On December 3, he scored 20 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter of the Timberwolves' 112–106 win over Los Angeles Clippers. On December 12, he scored 38 points in a 118–112 overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. On December 18, he scored 37 points in a 108–107 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. On December 27, Butler scored 12 of Minnesota's 14 points in overtime and finished with a season-high 39 points in a 128–125 win over the Denver Nuggets.

On January 23, he was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve. On February 9, in his return to Chicago, Butler scored 38 points in a 114–113 loss to the Bulls. Butler chose to not play in the All-Star Game, saying that the rest would benefit him for the stretch run of the season. In the Timberwolves' first game after the All-Star break, on February 23 against the Houston Rockets, Butler left the game late in the third quarter with a right knee injury. Two days later, he underwent meniscus surgery and was ruled out indefinitely. He returned just shy of six weeks later, on April 6, and scored 18 points in a 113–96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. In game 3 of the Timberwolves' first-round playoff series against the Rockets, Butler made four 3-pointers among his 28 points in a 121–105 win. The Timberwolves went on to lose the series in five games.

Shortly before training camp in 2018, Butler requested a trade from the Timberwolves, accusing younger players of being insufficiently motivated, while indicating he would not re-sign with the team in the 2019 off-season. A month later Butler joined practice for the first time since the trade request, and teamed up with third-string players to scrimmage and win against the team's usual starters. Much of the time he spent shouting at and taunting general manager Scott Layden, head coach Tom Thibodeau, as well as various teammates. When a trade was not achieved prior to the start of the regular season, Butler opted to play for Minnesota in 2018–19. He appeared in 10 of the Timberwolves' first 13 games before being traded in early November.

Philadelphia 76ers (2018–2019)

On November 12, 2018, Butler was traded, along with Justin Patton, to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Jerryd Bayless, Robert Covington, Dario Šarić and a 2022 second-round draft pick. He made his debut for the 76ers two days later, scoring 14 points in a 111–106 loss to the Orlando Magic. On November 25, he recorded 34 points and 12 rebounds and made a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining to give the 76ers a 127–125 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. On December 5, he scored a season-high 38 points in a 113–102 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Two days later, he had a second straight 38-point game in a 117–111 win over the Detroit Pistons. On January 29, Butler was shifted to point guard and had 20 points and six assists in a 121–105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. In game 1 of the 76ers' first-round playoff series against the Nets, Butler scored a game-high 36 points in a 111–102 loss. In game 2 of the second round, Butler had 30 points and 11 rebounds to help the 76ers tie the series against the Raptors at 1–1 with a 94–89 win. In game 6, he scored 25 points in a 112–101 win, helping the 76ers force a game 7. In game 7, he made a layup with 4.2 seconds in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 90–all, but the 76ers eventually lost the game 92–90 following Kawhi Leonard's game-winning buzzer beater.

Miami Heat (2019–2025)

On July 6, 2019, Butler signed with the Miami Heat via a sign and trade with the 76ers in a four-team trade. On December 9, Butler was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after he averaged 27.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. On December 10, Butler recorded a then career-high 18 rebounds, along with 20 points and 11 assists in a 135–121 overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks. On January 30, 2020, Butler was named to his fifth NBA All-Star Game. On February 3, Butler scored a season-high 38 points on 14-of-20 shooting from the field, as the Heat beat his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers 137–106.

On August 31, in game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Butler scored a then playoff career-high 40 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the field in a 115–104 win over the first-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. On September 8, Miami advanced to the next round after game 5 win, thus completing the upset. The Heat reached the NBA Finals after defeating the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals in six games, earning Butler his first finals appearance. In game 3 of the NBA Finals, Butler registered a triple-double of 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists in a winning effort. He became the third player in finals history to record a 40+ point triple-double, joining LeBron James (then with Cleveland) in 2015 and Jerry West with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1969. Butler also became the first player to have more points, rebounds and assists in a finals game than James, who finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. In game 5, Butler had 35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and five steals in a 111–108 victory. He became the first player to register 35+ points, 10+ rebounds, 10+ assists and 5+ steals in a finals game. He is also the second player to reach such stats in NBA playoff history after Gary Payton in 2000. Butler became the second player with multiple 30-point triple-doubles in the same finals series, joining James in 2015. He became the sixth player with multiple triple-doubles in a finals series along with James, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Draymond Green. The Heat would go on to lose to the Lakers in six games. Butler became only the second player in a finals series to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, joining James in 2016. He finished the finals averaging 26.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

On February 11, 2021, Butler recorded his 10th career triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the Heat's 101–94 win over the Houston Rockets. On February 18, Butler logged his 13th career triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a 118–110 win over the Sacramento Kings, becoming the first player in franchise history with three consecutive triple-doubles. Together with teammate Bam Adebayo who posted 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, they became the first pair in league history to register triple-doubles in the same game more than once. Butler finished the regular season leading the league in steals with 2.1 steals per game. In the playoffs, the Heat were eliminated in a four-game sweep by the Milwaukee Bucks, who would go on to win the NBA Finals. In game 4, Butler recorded his third career playoff triple-double.

Golden State Warriors (2025–present)

On February 6, 2025, Butler was traded to the Golden State Warriors in a five-team deal that sent a package headed by Andrew Wiggins to the Heat. In addition, Butler declined his player option for the 2025–26 season, which was replaced by a two-year, $121 million contract extension with the Warriors, which runs through the 2026–27 season. He chose to wear "Butler III" on his jersey during his Warriors' tenure, honoring his late father. On February 8, he made his Warriors' debut, putting up 25 points in a 132–111 win over the Chicago Bulls. On March 10, Butler recorded his first triple-double with the Warriors, scoring 15 points to go with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, the first triple-double of the season for Golden State and the 18th of Butler's career.

On April 15, Butler made his play-in debut with the Warriors, recording a game-high 38 points along with seven rebounds and six assists in a 121–116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies to secure the seventh seed for the playoffs. On April 20, Butler, in his playoff debut with the Warriors, recorded 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals in a 95–85 victory against the Houston Rockets. In game 7 of the first round, Butler contributed 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists as the Warriors eliminated the Rockets with a 103–89 road win to advance to the Western Conference semifinals. However, Butler and the Warriors would go on to be eliminated in five games by Butler's former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

On January 19, 2026, Butler suffered a season-ending injury in a game against his former team, the Heat, after tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which required surgery. Through 38 games, Butler averaged 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game, marking his ninth season averaging at least 20 points, and helped the Warriors to a 25–19 record at the time of his injury. With Butler sidelined and teammate Stephen Curry also missing time due to a knee injury, the Warriors finished with a 37–45 record and were eliminated in the NBA play-in tournament, missing the playoffs.

Awards and honors

NBA

6× NBA All-Star: 2015–2018, 2020, 2022

5× All-NBA Team selections:

All-NBA Second Team: 2023

4× All-NBA Third Team: 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021

5× NBA All-Defensive Second Team: 2014–2016, 2018, 2021

NBA Most Improved Player: 2015

NBA minutes played leader: 2015

NBA steals leader: 2021

NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP: 2023

USA Basketball

Summer Olympics gold medalist: 2016

Career statistics

Off the court

Butler is a fan of country and emo music. He starred in the music video for the country song "Light It Up" by Luke Bryan and the emo song "So Much (for) Stardust" by Fall Out Boy.

In the NBA Bubble, Butler opened Big Face Coffee, a side business which he operated out of his hotel room using his French press coffee brewer, charging $20 per cup. A year later, he officially launched his coffee brand, and planned to dedicate his time into the coffee roastery business post-retirement.

During the 2023 NBA playoffs, Butler filed a trademark on the name "Himmy Butler" for the purpose of launching his own clothing and beverage brand. The nickname "Himmy" came from the meme phrase "he's him", which rose in popularity during the Heat's Butler-led run during that postseason.

Butler is featured in the Netflix documentary series, Starting 5, which followed Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum through the 2023–24 NBA season and playoffs.

Personal life

While attending Marquette, Butler earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications.

Butler and his former girlfriend have three children. He did not make his Heat debut until the fourth game of the 2019–20 NBA season, as he was on paternity leave after the birth of his first child. Butler's father died on February 8, 2024. Butler is a Christian.

He is good friends with Mark Wahlberg, whom he met while Wahlberg was filming Transformers: Age of Extinction in Chicago. The two have vacationed in Paris together.

Butler became a fan of soccer during the 2016 Summer Olympics, after watching Neymar Jr. play for Brazil. He has rooted for Paris Saint Germain and said his favorite player is Neymar. In October 2025, he joined San Diego Wave FC's investor group.