Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler Continues To Defend His Image As A Teammate

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has heard it at every stop in his NBA career.

In Chicago, he was a bad teammate.

In Minnesota, he was a cancer.

In Philadelphia, he was a prima donna.

Despite all the criticism, Butler has never referred to himself as the problem. When asked about during All-Star Weekend, he remained true to his words.

“I never was the bad cop," Butler said. "I was just the truthful guy. People didn’t like the truth because the truth hurts sometimes.”

Butler has had no incidents, at least none publicly, during his three-year tenure in Miami. It has only improved this season, largely because the addition of Kyle Lowry.

Lowry has brought a calm to the locker room, which Butler has no objections.

"Everybody knows there where that comes from," Butler said of his straightforward attitude. "I just want to win like everybody else, so nobody takes it personal. Now, more than anything, we've got Kyle. Kyle's the one that comes in and says, `Jimmy, shut up. Stop yelling, I got this.' He can kind of mellow everything out. He does that for everyone."'

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