Getty Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler pulled no punches during his return to the team on Wednesday. While the All-Star opted to show up at practice, things didn’t exactly go well. As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski revealed, Butler was “boldly challenging teammates, coaches and front office executives.”
Following the drama, Butler spoke to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols on the situation, courtesy of SportsCenter.
“All my emotion came out at one time.”
Jimmy Butler sat down with @Rachel__Nichols to talk about today’s practice and what led to it. See more on SportsCenter at 6 ET and NBA Countdown at 7 ET 📺
Wojnarowski detailed one of the comments prior to the interview being released, including Butler admitting that “a lot” of the details about his practice explosion were true.
“A lot of it is true,” he said. “I haven’t played basketball in so long. I’m so passionate. I don’t do it for any reason but to compete. All my emotion came out in one time. Was it the right way? No! But I can’t control that when I’m out there competing. That’s raw me, me at my finest, me at my purest. Inside the lines.”
Latest on Jimmy Butler Trade Talks
Last week, Wojnarowski revealed the Timberwolves nearly had a deal done to send Butler to the Miami Heat. Minnesota then chose to ask for more than the originally agreed-upon price, which led to the trade falling apart and sides seemingly starting from square one.
Unfortunately, there may be no end in sight with the Butler saga, although this unfortunate situation at practice could speed up the process a bit. The last thing the team wants is to have Butler back in the locker room or around the team with the potential for another incident.
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