Hudson Butcher stood in his bedroom, phone in hand, and gave the Utah Jazz the pep talk of the year. “Let’s win an NBA Finals! Come on!” the 8-year-old yelled, pointing at the camera, calling out Darryn Peterson by name and then dunking on a hoop hanging from his closet door. His mom posted a trimmed version, and the Hudson Butcher Jazz video was soon making the rounds across the NBA. Days later, the Jazz invited him to their open practice, and the pep-talker became the star of the show.
Hudson Butcher Jazz Video: How a Bedroom Pep Talk Went Viral
It was actually Hudson’s second Jazz video. The first, made with his younger brother, caught the eye of second-year forward Ace Bailey. Wanting a sequel, Hudson borrowed his mom’s phone one morning while she got ready. Madi Butcher didn’t find the recording, about 30 minutes long, until three or four days later, and she cried laughing. She cut it down and posted it to Instagram. The Jazz and the NBA both shared it, and several players commented. His dad, Cole, said the best part is how true it is to who Hudson is. The family lives in Sandy, and Hudson has been a Jazz fan basically from birth: when his mom gave birth, Donovan Mitchell was winning the Slam Dunk Contest on the hospital TV. He played Junior Jazz last year and now plays in the Jazz Bantam program.
Keyonte George Carries Hudson Across the Delta Center Floor
The Jazz made sure the Hudson Butcher Jazz video had a payoff. At the team’s open practice Monday, Oct. 5, Hudson and his family sat behind the basket, closer to the floor than he’d ever been. He said hello to Peterson and dapped up Bailey, and then Keyonte George ran over, scooped him up and carried him around the court. At one point the entire team circled him and lifted him into the air. The Jazz’s own post summed it up as “our favorite hype man is here.” Lauri Markkanen, Bailey, George and Isaiah Collier signed his trading cards, which now sit above his bed. Mo Bamba, who opened a collectibles and card shop in September, slipped off to the locker room and came back with packs and a box of 150 WNBA cards. Hudson split the packs with his little brother.
From Bedroom to ESPN: Hudson’s Whirlwind Week
By Thursday, the Hudson Butcher Jazz video had landed him on ESPN’s NBA Today with Malika Andrews. At practice, fans lined up for photos with the boy who came to collect autographs and ended up signing a few himself. His mom said that was the craziest part for him. He called it “the best day of my life.”
Hudson isn’t only a Jazz kid, either. He also follows the Arizona Cardinals, Yankees and Padres, turns on MLB TV every morning and checks the previous night’s scores on the way to school. He wants to be a pro basketball, football or baseball player one day, with suiting up for the Jazz at the top of the list. Until then, he’ll keep willing them toward that NBA Finals. For a young team still finding its identity, one eight-year-old’s loyalty was a reminder of what the fans in Salt Lake City bring every night.
Hudson Butcher Jazz Video Gets 8-Year-Old the Surprise of His Life