Jimmy Butler on the All-Star game being held at the United Center: “Chicago is a basketball powerhouse”

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler was selected to his fifth All-Star game this year. Butler has led the Heat to a 35-19 record and is averaging a 20/6/6 stat line. With the All-Star weekend being held in Chicago, Butler is very familiar with the city and the legacy it carries. He played for the Bulls for the first six years of his career until he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves shortly before the beginning of the 2017 season.

“To have so many great basketball players here at one time is huge for this city. When you think of a team and an arena, where Michael Jordan played is always going to pop up. Where Scottie Pippen played is going to pop up. Where they (the Bulls) three-peated at is going to pop up. Chicago is a basketball powerhouse for high school going up into the league. Basketball is really important here, and I’m fortunate to be back here for All-Star weekend.”

Butler is known for his gritty on-court attitude and physical style of play. He was playfully asked by a reporter what makes a good villain.

“I think when people paint you like that, but you view things a lot differently, you just go out there and do what you’re supposed to do. I think that’s the best part of being a villain. You go out there and you do your job.”