Jim Boylen Explains What Makes Jimmy Butler Different

With Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat one win away from sweeping the Boston Celtics in the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, one of Butler’s former Chicago Bulls coaches, Jim Boylen, explained what sets the superstar apart from his peers.

During an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio’s “Give and Go” show hosted by Rick Kamla and Antonio Daniels, Boylen discussed Butler’s work ethic, leadership, and relentless drive to improve.

Boylen said Butler’s commitment and work ethic separate him from nearly every other player in the league. He also highlighted Butler’s meticulous preparation, noting that he’s developed the ability to attack from the right side of the court despite being right-handed — a skill Boylen said few players possess.

“Everything he does and has done is something he’s worked on, something he believes in that can help his team win.”

According to Boylen, Butler’s success isn’t driven by talent alone. He credited Butler’s intelligence, toughness, and competitiveness, as well as his willingness to embrace coaching and accountability. Boylen said Butler welcomes difficult conversations and allows coaches to challenge him to improve.

“[Jimmy] takes accountability for his failures, [and] he does not make excuses… He embraces the tough conversations, he’ll have them with you… He doesn’t run from the responsibility of being the best player.”

Boylen also praised Butler’s resilience, saying few players can recover from a poor start and still take over a game. Even after struggling early, Butler has repeatedly responded with game-changing performances.

“The one thing I’ll tell you about Jimmy too is very few guys in our league can start the game playing poorly and end up playing well… He has unbelievable moments throughout the game, even maybe after a poor moment or a bad start or a bad quarter… He’s a unique guy.”