Jimmy Butler sits quietly on his couch. It’s 3:00 AM in Chicago. The last 20-hours have been a whirlwind. He was awoken at 7:21 that morning by multiple text messages from friends and family. He had never been so upset to hear the sound of a basketball swish through a net so often.
“You’re leaving Chicago??!?!?!”
That was the gist of all 35 text messages, including one from a man saved in his phone as “KING,” which read, “see what we’re missing?”
He had spent his entire day responding to messages, fielding phone calls, and making appearances. He thought he could escape at his youth basketball camp, but even there he was bombarded with questions by kids. They had all heard the news.
“Report: Jimmy Butler would welcome trade to Cleveland or Boston.”
The look on the kid’s faces saddened Butler as they asked, “you’re not really leaving Mr. Jimmy, are you?” Butler didn’t have the heart to provide a concrete answer. He simply replied, “You can’t believe everything you read on the Internet.”
Back on his couch, Butler closes his eyes, hoping to simply pass out and start anew tomorrow. But there was too much on his mind to drift into a deep sleep. Despite fielding the same question from friends, family, peers, journalists, kids, and Skip Bayless; Butler had never given them an answer.
“Do you want to leave Chicago, Jimmy?”
At 27, Butler is considered one of the 15 best players in the NBA. He’s never made it out of the second round, but he has at least another three years before people start holding that against him. But can that happen in Chicago? In the three seasons since he became THIS Jimmy Butler, his best teammates have been an old Dwyane Wade, an old Pau Gasol, and an injured Derrick Rose. Now, he was staring at an opportunity to play with the best player in the league or the top team in the East.
Butler arises from his couch and begins walking down his hallway. He doesn’t bother to turn on the lights. He’d made this walk plenty of times and knew the pathway was free of debris. He takes roughly 239 steps, stops and turns to his right. In front of his eyes is a large painting of the Chicago skyline. To a house guest, the painting was just a painting. A piece of landmark art that made the hallway wall look less bare.
Butler reaches out and begins to run his fingers gently across the painting. He caresses Aon Center, brushes Chase Tower, and strokes Sears Tower. This series of movements causes the panel of the wall to swing open.
Calming himself, Butler steps inside the hidden room. He shuts the door behind him.
The Red Room is a tribute to Chicago. 50 different items showcased, highlighting everything he loved and hated about the only NBA city he’s ever called home. He wanders over to his most recent addition. A newspaper article with the headline “Rajon Rondo says Bulls would’ve swept Celtics if not for injury.” Next to the article was Rondo’s infamous “My Vets” Instagram post.
Butler once again closes his eyes. He imagines the scenarios. What if we had traded or bought out Rondo after that post? What if Rondo didn’t get hurt in that series? He knows that Rondo’s future is dependent on him. Stay in Chicago and Rondo would likely be brought back as the team gears up for another playoff run. Decide to leave and the Bulls would cut ties with the enigmatic point guard in order to start a full rebuild.
Having this kind of power brings a rush to Jimmy. Blood pumps to his head as a massive smile comes over his face.
Jimmy re-opens his eyes, the smile still plastered on his face.
He takes a stroll around the room. He admires the autographed bat given to him by the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs. He sees himself in the photos featuring Michael Jordan holding the Larry O’Brien trophy. He reaches out again, touching the trophy. He tries to lock eyes with Jordan, but Jordan’s eyes are only focused on the trophy.
He pulls his hand back and gives it a smack. He knows better. The trophy can only be touched in its physical form.
He continues his stroll around The Red Room, making his way to the west side. There, he admires a photo of Kanye West as “Glory” plays through a small speaker. The track ends and switches to “Bound 2,” which brings a look of disgust to Butler. He turns his attention from the photo of Kanye West to a photo of Kanye Kardashian.
“Is that who you want to become?” he asks himself.
Next: The draft that Danny Ainge built
He quickly turns away from the West side and makes his way to the center of the room.
Butler stands quietly on the giant “21” in the middle of the room. He closes his eyes one final time. He breathes in, deeply. He holds the breath for a moment, collecting a thousand thoughts in a matter of seconds. He breathes out.
“Home,” he whispers.