3 side quests Jimmy Butler has accomplished during his regular season career

Few players have the ability to shift gears when it matters most, and even fewer can do so consistently. We've all heard the nickname "Playoff Jimmy." We all witnessed his surprise trip to the Finals last year with the Miami Heat when he knocked off the first-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. Yet, the question remains, how does Jimmy Butler do it? 

Following the New York Knicks 99-109 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Josh Hart spoke with The New York Post's Stefan Bondy and shared something interesting about Butler. "Jimmy kind of does side quests during the year until about April. Then he starts locking in," Hart warned, with the playoffs quickly approaching, "I’m sure people are going to see that maniac competitive side now that he’s done with the side quests and he’s onto the main quest.”

In light of Hart's comments, let's take a look at some side quests Butler has accomplished.

3 Side quests Jimmy Butler has accomplished during his career 

3. Big Face Brand

Probably the most notable and impressive side quest of Butler's regular season career is his coffee and merchandise company — Big Face Brand. Big Face Brand began as a way for Butler to hustle his NBA co-workers out of their cash during the NBA's infamous pandemic-induced bubble during the 2020 season. As Butler told The Thrillist last year, "I knew people had cash and no one was using it because of COVID, so I decided to take cash."

Per @IraHeatBeat on Twitter/X:

Now the coffee shop run out of his hotel room has grown into a full-on business, sourcing beans from Ethiopia, Kenya and Columbia. It doesn't stop at coffee either. Butler and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream have collaborated on a limited-edition affogato ice cream flavor. Big Face Brand also sells apparel that Butler often wears either in the pre-game tunnel or during the post-game presser. One day, Butler hopes to open a chain of cafes where people can gather and enjoy his pour-overs.

2. Heat Wentz — Butler's emo phase

Butler's eclectic music taste is well documented. Whether it's Rick Ross, Nickelback, or Miley Cyrus, Butler is not shy about marching to the beat of his own drum. At the start of this season, Butler showed up to media day with piercings, black eyes, and swooshed hair, signaling the beginning of yet another side quest. Turns out, this wasn't a phase. Recently, Butler starred in Fall Out Boy's music video wearing a crazy purple suit, re-introducing his 'Emo Jimmy' alter-ego. Fall Out Boy even posted to Twitter/X and joked that they were changing their band's name to 'Ball Out Boy'

1. Pedestrian equestrian

One of Butler's most intriguing side quests of the regular season occurred when Jimmy Butler was spotted crossing Miami's busy streets on horseback earlier this April. We know Butler's Texas roots run deep, but, I mean ... wow. 

While it may appear that Butler is just playing Red Dead Redemption IRL, there might be a deeper strategic meaning to this specific side quest. Last season, Butler lost in the NBA Finals in five games at the hands of Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. What does Nikola Jokic love more than basketball (and arguably anything else in the world)? Horses. As the saying goes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Could Butler be taking a page from Nikola Jokic's playbook here?