Jimmy Butler says not everyone on the Philadelphia 76ers had a common goal of winning a championship last season. The Sixers lost to the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the playoffs in seven games on a Kawhi Leonard buzzer beater.
Butler opted not to re-sign with the Sixers in free agency. He joined the Miami Heat as part of a sign-and-trade deal.
“No, but everybody don't do that,” Butler told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “Everybody don't work like that. That's just what it is. And I've learned that over the years, you know? Is there something wrong with it? No. There's not…Is everybody playing this game for a championship? The money, the houses, the cars, the fame, there are so many other things that people could play this game for.”
Butler played 55 games for the Sixers last season after the team acquired him from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The four-time All-Star got multiple standing ovations from the Philly crowd during the 2019 playoffs. However, now that he’s on the Heat after choosing not to re-sign with the Sixers, the fans booed Butler in his return to Philadelphia this past Saturday.
Butler signed a four-year, $140.8 million contract with the Heat in the summer as part of a four-team sign-and-trade deal between Miami, Philly, the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers. Philadelphia acquired combo shooting guard Josh Richardson from Miami.
Multiple reports have stated that the Sixers didn’t offer Butler a five-year max contract in free agency. There were also reports of tension between the team’s coaching staff and Butler last season, and it played a role in the Sixers' decision not to re-sign Jimmy.
Butler had a heated argument with Sixers head coach Brett Brown during a film session shortly after Philly acquired him from the Timberwolves. Both men downplayed the incident, but it’s clear the team was content with moving on from Butler — something which Jimmy likely took personally given how fierce of a competitor he is.
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