Jimmy Butler is known for many things, but being labeled “soft” is not one of them. As one of the NBA’s most intense players, Butler’s reputation for physicality and resilience on both ends of the court is well-established.
His hard-nosed approach and abrasive nature were particularly evident during his time with the Chicago Bulls, where he played under head coach Fred Hoiberg from 2015 to 2018 before Hoiberg was replaced by Jim Boylen.
The 2016-17 season was especially tumultuous for Butler and Hoiberg. According to former Bulls guard Michael Carter-Williams, Butler openly called his coach “soft” during a tense team meeting, highlighting the strained relationship between the player and coach.
“Our locker room was bad”
“The craziest season I’ve ever been a part of was Chicago. I love Jimmy, Jimmy’s a great dude, but this is crazy bro. Our locker room was bad, bro. It was right in the beginning of the year too. Everybody was pissed off. Jimmy wasn’t getting along with Coach Hoiberg, so we had a team meeting early. But the last game, the refs were terrible.Jimmy got a tech, somebody else got a tech, I think even Taj Gibson got a tech.
Jimmy was upset that Coach Hoiberg didn’t get a tech. Coach Hoiberg is like, ‘Jimmy, this starts with me and you, what’s going on?’ And then Jimmy Butler goes, ‘Well, one, I think you’re soft. Two, I don’t like you.’ And he didn’t even get to three before Coach Hoiberg said, ‘Well then, f— you, Jimmy.’ And Jimmy’s like, ‘Oh, it’s f— me now? You wanted to know what I felt!’”
This explosive interaction encapsulated the friction within the Bulls’ locker room during a challenging period for the team. The Bulls were coming off a disappointing 42-40 season, missing the playoffs for the first time in eight years, which only heightened the tension.
Michael Carter-Williams, who has seen many different team dynamics in his nine NBA seasons across six teams, found this situation in Chicago particularly unforgettable. The Bulls managed to finish the 2016-17 season with a 41-41 record, securing the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and making it to the playoffs.
However, their postseason run was short-lived, ending in a six-game first-round loss to the Boston Celtics.
Fred Hoiberg‘s tenure as head coach did not last much longer; he was let go after a 5-19 start in the 2018 season, having coached just 106 more games for the Bulls. Despite the challenges and confrontations, this period remains a significant chapter in the careers of both Butler and Hoiberg, illustrating the high stakes and intense emotions inherent in professional basketball.