DeAndre Jordan and Jimmy Butler are trying to fit in the best they can on the star-studded men’s basketball team.
Jimmy Butler thinks he was too passive during Team USA’s first four exhibition games.
Consider his belting of Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles,” a poppy love song, as a sign of renewed assertiveness.
On the plane coming from Chicago to Houston earlier this week, multiple Team USA members posted videos on their social media accounts of the Chicago Bulls’ All-Star forward singing to Carlton’s most famous song. He also played a couple of country songs before team captain Carmelo Anthony shut it off.
“The stuff that people don’t want to hear,” Butler said, “is coming from my playlist.”
If the Tomball native’s passionate air piano playing is any sign, then he’s become comfortable being part of a star-studded Olympic roster, which has its opener in Rio on Saturday against China. A more concrete signal: He had his best performance of the U.S.’s five-game preOlympic schedule against Nigeria on Monday, a day after saying he’d figure out his role.
Butler shot 4-for-9 against Nigeria, and he grabbed four steals. His most notable play, though, came on a miss, when he called for the ball and tried an isolation play on the right side of the floor.
“Sometimes these guys are too good of guys,” USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski said after the 110-66 win. “(Players sometimes think) someone else, especially offensively, they’ll do it. They’re not completely themselves. We asked him to be himself, and he was that tonight.”
In two of the prior exhibition games, Butler attempted two or less shots.
“That’s sort of how he is,” said Tom Thibodeau, Butler’s former Bulls coach and U.S. assistant. “He tries to fit in first.”
Butler has increasingly spent the past two seasons as Chicago’s go-to player while one-time MVP point guard Derrick Rose dealt with injuries. Though Rose is now with the New York Knicks, Butler will have to work get used to playing with two other ball-dominating guards, Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, both of whom Chicago acquired in free agency.
Butler said the USA experience has taught him how to lead. He said no player on the roster is afraid to be vocal. All of them will call out any player on something he must improve at — including Butler and his assertiveness. “That’s something I can respect,” he said.
He’s had no luck at getting some teammates to respect his music taste. In the videos of Butler to Carlton, Anthony sat a row in front of Butler, on the opposite side of the aisle. A hood covered most of his head, which rested on his right fist. He didn’t smile, like many of his teammates did. He looked unamused.
“We had a nice little sing along,” center DeAndre Jordan said. “It was pretty good. I don’t think Carmelo liked it very much.” Then Jordan laughed.
“His playlist, man,” forward Harrison Barnes said. “It’s a little off the wall.”
The first country song Butler liked is Tim McGraw’s “Don’t Take The Girl.” Today, Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan are two of Butler’s favorites to listen to.
Thibodeau said Butler played his sometimes unpopular playlist on the Bulls’ plane too. The practice started at Marquette, when, to get revenge on teammates who would never turn down their music before games, Butler commandeered control of the locker room speakers and began playing country music to get on teammates’ nerves.
“And then I actually listened to it,” he said, “and I actually liked it.”
Players take turns getting to play music on team’s plane rides. But because Anthony is the captain, Butler likely ruined his chance of ever getting another opportunity.
“It’s OK though,” Butler said. “They accept me for who I am.”