Dwyane Wade admits he was a bad influence on Jimmy Butler on Bulls

When people think of Dwyane Wade, they think of the Miami Heat. The NBA legend spent 17 seasons in the league, and he played for the Heat for 15 of those seasons. The other two years were spent with the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers. When Wade played for the Bulls, Jimmy Butler was on the team. Wade had the opportunity to be mentor for a lot of younger players on that Chicago team, but he admits that he didn't do a good job.

Dwyane Wade ended up back on the Heat for the last two years of his career, and Jimmy Butler came to Miami the year after Wade retired. Butler obviously turned out just fine and he has had a great NBA career, but Wade thinks that he was a bit of a bad influence on him.

“I set a bad precedent, I apologize,” Wade said during an appearance on 7PM in Brooklyn. “Jimmy Butler was on that team, so he probably picked up some bad habits from me. I was old, I was like ‘man, I get to live the NBA experience, I was a military baby for 14 years, I got one year to get out and stretch my arms,' I was like I’m about to take advantage. So I really wasn’t a good vet to those guys man, I apologize. It wasn’t about y’all it was about me, so I apologize.”

Dwyane Wade explains his behavior

When Dwyane Wade was on the Bulls during that 2016-17 season, he knew that he was no longer in his prime, but he had obviously made a name for himself in the league. He was still a good basketball player, but he wasn't what he used to be. Still, Butler knew that he could get away with a lot because of his status in the league.

“I got to enjoy it when I wasn’t good anymore, but I still had my status but I wasn’t that good no more to my standards, I’m not talking about the average basketball standards,” Wade continued. “I still could hoop, but to my standards I was like ‘alright, you ain’t him no more but I still got my status, so let me use this card.'”

It sounds like Butler did enjoy that time on the Bulls, but it is clear that he has realized that he could've been a better leader. The status that he had at that point could have been used to do a lot of good.