Advice From A Former NBA Star Is What Led To Jimmy Butler’s Defensive Tenacity

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has long been known for his scrappy defensive play.

After recording his second six-steal game of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers, Butler was asked about his knack for making defensive plays. He said he learned it during his early days with the Chicago Bulls while being teammates with Richard “Rip” Hamilton.

“I think it’s always been a thing,” Butler said. “I think that comes from Richard Hamilton. Rip taught me at a young age, because I wasn’t that good whenever I came into the league, like nobody wanted to pass me the ball. He always told me if you want to score and you want to get the ball, play good defense and get a steal, go get a layup or crash the boards and go get an offensive rebound … To this day, that sticks in my head.”