Butler weighs in on the great Harden debate
HOUSTON — Jimmy Butler’s current status? A bit under the weather.
His take on James Harden’s step-back jumper? Sick.
And yet, in an interview with The Players’ Tribune, Butler continued the league-wide debate as to whether Harden’s signature move is legal.
It started with a benign question about the game’s most-unstoppable player.
“The guy’s averaging 39 1⁄2 points. In the streets, that 40,” Butler said in the interview taped in advance of Butler’s Miami Heat taking on Harden’s Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at the Toyota Center, with Harden entering Wednesday at a league-leading 37.9 points per game. “That’s James Harden.”
Butler then went into specifics, including one well-discussed specific.
“I mean, he’s a lefty,” Butler said. “You want a mid-range pullup? You want a floater? You want a layup? You want a dunk? You want a free throw? He’s legendary for his step-back.”
The question with the latter is exactly how many steps back, with the NBA effectively condoning the move in an officiating video presentation prior to the season on traveling calls.
“You can say that’s a travel; you
can say it’s not a travel, if ref doesn’t call it,” Butler said. “So I’m all for it. Find a way to stop it — travel or not.”
Continuing on the unstoppable theme, Butler cited the Big Three Heat of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as the most unstoppable team he has faced.
“I played against the Heatles,” he said of the nickname for the Heat roster that went to four consecutive NBA Finals, starting in 2011 and won championships in 2012 and ’13. “You’re talking about D-Wade, Chris Bosh, ’Bron, Ray Allen, Shane Battier. It’s like, I’m going with them. Pick your year. They were the ones to beat.”
As for the most unstoppable player he has played with, Butler cited former Chicago Bulls teammate Derrick Rose, who with the Detroit Pistons.
“I was there with prime DRose, MVP Rose,” he said. “When is now
I would see him do stuff in practice, I was like, ‘Man, that’s just absolutely incredible.’ And then he would go and do it two times in the game. I was guy is for real.’ “
Butler also was presented a series of more-unstoppable matchups. He took Kobe Bryant over LeBron James, Vince Carter over Tracy McGrady, and Wade over Paul Pierce.
Asked then about whether he would prefer to put an opponent on a poster with a dunk or score a game-winner, he said, “Hit a game winner. I know I won.”
He also was asked why he considered himself unstoppable, having parlayed his two-way play into a four-year, $142 million contract with the Heat in the offseason.
“Probably because I play both sides of the basketball,” he said. “I pride myself on that. The other part of it, I just really give a damn. I’m not scared of you. I don’t care if you average 40. I’m here to battle. So unstoppable? I’ll put myself in that category.” like, ‘Man, this