The Chicago Bulls became Jimmy Butler’s team once Derrick Rose was traded to New York, but once Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo were acquired, it’s no longer quite clear who this squad’s unquestioned leader will be.
Regardless, Butler says he wants the two newcomers to be brutally-honest with him if he’s screwing up.
Butler: "What I want them guys to do whenever I’m on some bulls**t, I want them to tell me. I want you to say my name, man to man."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 18, 2016
Butler has no plans to scale back his own locker room commentary.
Per the Chicago Tribune:
Butler said he has talked to Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade “a lot” because he wants to “know my guys in and out.” And given the championship reputations Rondo and Wade bring to Chicago, Butler envisions no issues as far as fit — even though all three carry reputations as ball-dominant players who aren’t knockdown 3-point shooters. […] “Everybody has to sacrifice a little something for the betterment of the team,” Butler said. “We all just to win. They have done it. I want to do it. So I’ll play my role in that.”
At his introductory news conference, Rondo called the Bulls “Jimmy’s team” but admitted they now have “three alphas.” Butler said both Wade and Rondo told him to keep playing as he has.
“I’ve made a name for myself in this league. I’m going to continue to build upon that,” he said. “I want my name to be in there with the greats. I’m not saying it will be, but I’m not saying that it won’t be. I’ll have a voice in the locker room. I’ll say what needs to be said. What I want (those) guys to do, whenever I’m on some (B.S.), I want them to tell me. I want you to say my name, man to man. That goes along with everybody. Say my name. And I’m going to do the same to you. Whenever you’re (B.S.)ing and not doing what you’re supposed to be doing in practice and the game or not taking care of your body, you need somebody holding you accountable. You can’t beat around the bush and say: ‘Hey, guys, we need to take care of our body. Hey, guys, we’re taking bad shots.’ It’s: ‘Jimmy, you need to do this. You need to do that.'”
