Jimmy Butler has played with some pretty solid players in the NBA, but when the Chicago Bulls star was asked on Friday who he would pick to play with if he had the choice, with no other considerations attached, he went for one dude: Cleveland Cavaliers PG Kyrie Irving.
Now don’t get too rattled here, this was all in good fun. The conversation happened on ESPN’s First Take, and it was simply a question to get some chatter going. Butler, sensing the mood, said not only would he pick Irving, but that the Cavaliers star was his favorite player outside of himself.
“I’d probably have to go with my favorite player who is not myself, and that’s Kyrie [Irving]. I love Kyrie’s game, man. And he’s a really good dude,” said Butler.
That actually makes a lot of sense, as NBA players love Irving’s game. In fact, Irving received the third-most votes in the Eastern Conference when it came to All-Star player voting this season, just behind teammate LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks wing Giannis Antetokounmpo.
On a more serious note, Butler said he would add a shooter to the Bulls to make them more tenable as a playoff team and because it would help him operate on the floor.
“Any type of shooter to where I can attack the paint, get to the rim, get to the free-throw line and do what I do best because you can’t leave that guy. So, I don’t know, Kyle Korver? A shooter like that.”
The First Take crew was trying to get Butler to say he wanted to play with Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry, with Max Kellerman even suggesting so much after Butler finished.
I, for one, am excited to see the new Chicago Bulls lineup of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Korver, Kevin Durant, and Cristiano Felicio.
You heard it here first. Five alphas.