Listen to Jimmy Butler’s reason for not wanting anything on the back of his jersey
By John Buhler
Jimmy Butler doesn’t want anything on the back of his NBA bubble jersey.
Jimmy Butler would prefer the back of his NBA bubble jersey be left alone.
The All-Star for the Miami Heat is not going to put one of the prepackaged slogans on the back of his NBA jersey down in the Orlando bubble. He said to the media on Tuesday, he’d rather go nameless on the back of his jersey than put anything on it in the first place. Here’s what he had to say on that matter.
“I have decided not to,” said Butler. “With that being said, I hope that my last name doesn’t go on there as well. Just because I love and respect all the messages that the league did choose, but for me, I felt like with no message, with no name, it’s going back to like who I was.”
“And if I wasn’t who I was today I’m no different than anybody else of color and want that to be my message in the sense that just because I’m an NBA player, everybody has the same right no matter what and that’s how I feel about my people of color.”
Jimmy Butler says he won’t wear anything on the back of his jersey. Not even his name. Wants it blank as his own social justice message. He feels like it represents who he would be if he weren’t a basketball player. pic.twitter.com/2I4vJUpL7x
— Clay Ferraro (@ClayWPLG) July 14, 2020
Jimmy Butler going nameless on the back of his jersey speaks volumes
Butler came from humble beginnings in Tomball, Texas. His father walked out on his family when he was a baby. When he was 13 years old, his mother kicked him out of the house. Butler was essentially homeless throughout his teenage years. He initially went the junior college route before starring at Marquette, becoming the No. 30 overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in 2011.
In his decade-long NBA career, Butler has made five trips to the All-Star Game, made four All-Defensive Teams, two All-NBA teams and was named Most Improved in 2015. He even won a gold medal as part of Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Though Butler is an incredibly accomplished basketball player, his statement by wanting to go nameless says it all. He wants to best represent where he came from and say that he’s no different than someone who doesn’t get to play on this highest professional basketball stage for a living. Did you have a name on the back of your basketball jersey as a kid?
Butler opting to go nameless sends a powerful message in his own way down in the NBA bubble.