Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jimmy Butler did not see eye to eye with a lot of people during his time with the Chicago Bulls. He clashed with management, head coach Fred Hoiberg, and a handful of his teammates. Joakim Noah was one such teammate.
According to ESPN’s Nick Friedell, the two had a particularly contentious relationship during the 2015-16 season, which turned out to be Noah’s last in Chicago.
The pair had grown very close in Butler’s first few seasons, but, as the season unfolded, it became impossible for the organization to ignore just how much love had been lost between the formerly tight pair. According to multiple sources, Noah and Butler engaged in several heated disagreements throughout that season.
“What happened?” Butler says. “I don’t know. All I can say is, obviously he’s been with me since I was a nobody in this league. And I went about things a lot differently. My voice wasn’t heard. And he’s been with me as I came to be an All-Star as well in this league. And my voice was heard then. And when my voice is heard, I’m going to let it be heard.”
“We’re just different people,” Noah says. “We were always very close; me and Jimmy were always very close, but things change.”
Butler didn’t always feel as if some members of the group were putting in the work that he was. According to multiple sources, one of the things that always irritated Butler, specifically regarding Noah, was the All-Star center’s propensity for showing up late to team activities, setting a poor example for younger players.
Butler is famous for being a maniacally hard worker, which has been a major reason for his rise to stardom despite being an unheralded late first-round pick.
However, his leadership style rubbed people within the Bulls organization the wrong way, and Noah similarly bristled at his constant desire for others to work as hard as he does.
The two have apparently worked some things out during the offseason after going a year with no communication, which is good for them.
Still, Butler's relationship with the young Minnesota Timberwolves will be something to watch throughout this season and beyond to see whether he has learned any lessons from his conflict-filled time in Chicago.
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