Jimmy Butler has always been one of the toughest competitors on the floor ever since he came into the league in 2011.
Butler’s toughness has been evident on every team that he has played for. That was recently displayed with the Miami Heat when he showed up to the team’s very first training camp practice at 3:30 a.m.
In fact, Men’s Health titled an entire piece on the Heat forward, “How Jimmy Butler Became the Fittest Man in the NBA,” because of his tireless dedication to work on his body and prepare it for the rigors of an entire season of basketball. That’s quite a bold declaration from the magazine, but there may be very few who will argue its validity.
In Butler’s eyes, toughness is a talent and it’s one that he has in abundance.
“I’m tougher than you,” Butler said. “That’s where I’ll bank it at, and being tough is a talent. I back down from no one. I’m scared of nobody. I don’t care about the name that you have, what you’ve done. You can’t intimidate me none. And that’s what’s gotten me here.”
Butler is considered one of the league’s best two-way players, and he doesn’t back down from taking on the toughest defensive assignments. He prides himself on stopping the opponent’s best player, perhaps just as much as he loves making big plays down the stretch.
Though some may disagree that toughness is a talent, Butler believes it wholeheartedly. It’s hard to argue with a player who turned himself into a four-time All-Star and one of the hardest-working players in the league.
