Jimmy Butler Reflects on a Negative Experience with Sixers Once Again

Another day calls for another Jimmy Butler cryptic message regarding his latest former team, the Philadelphia 76ers. What seemed like a match made in heaven between the outspoken, blue-collar working Butler and the Sixers organization has now turned into nothing more than an ex constantly stating that something went wrong, without explaining any further details.

By now, the entire NBA world knows the outcome of what happened behind the scenes between the Sixers and Butler -- but we still aren't fully aware of what caused the rift in the first place. Some say the Sixers were worried about how the 30-year-old guard would age if he was signed on with the team for multiple seasons moving forward.

Others initially believed that Butler continued a trend of the past, and didn't get along with some Sixers players and coaches behind the scenes. Butler already expressed that "something happened," which proves the latter to be true. However, he still won't paint the picture for those who are curious at this point.

Instead, Butler continues to reveal tiny tidbits about the situation, because he admittedly prefers to leave everybody guessing on the situation, as opposed to just telling the full story. Last week, before facing the Sixers in Philadelphia for the first time since his departure, Butler revealed things went South behind the scenes over the summer, which caused the veteran guard to change focus before hitting free agency.

This week, Yahoo Sports' Vince Goodwill published a nine-minute video of a sitdown he had with Butler not too long ago. That's when Butler generated more buzz around his situation with Philly once again. No, Butler didn't name-drop anybody or tell the full story. He did, however, expose the work ethic or lack thereof, regarding unnamed players, who shared a roster spot with Butler last season.

When asked if everybody in Philly was working as hard as Jimmy Butler or not, the Miami Heat guard didn't hesitate to say no. "Everybody doesn't do that," Butler explained. "That's just what it is. I've learned that over the years."

Considering his recent praise for Sixers' center Joel Embiid, it has become quite clear that the veteran guard doesn't believe the big man qualifies as a candidate for his statement. Therefore, many pointed fingers at Sixers' point guard, Ben Simmons.

As Butler mentioned, "money, houses, cars, and the fame" as something players tend to strive for as opposed to winning a championship, Simmons became an easy target for the statement as he likes to flash some of those possessions often on social media.

Also, Simmons admitted, at times, he was just going through the motions last season. He also mentioned the need to "fall in love" with basketball again ahead of his 2019 effort. Knowing that, it made Butler's subliminal message seem like just another shot towards the Sixers' guard.

Regardless of whether Butler has a point or not, though, his views and opinions on the Sixers' locker room shouldn't really alarm anybody paying attention. Considering he hasn't stepped foot in the Sixers' locker room since May, everything the Heat guard is reporting at this point is nothing but old news. The Sixers have moved on in 2019 -- now Butler will be expected to do the same.