Basketball is a game of peaks and valleys. We watch, with sometimes overdramatic focus and scrutiny, the rises and falls of legacies, organizations and players. This season especially has seen the rise of several previously overlooked franchises – the seemingly unstoppable ascent of one Steph Curry; Cleveland’s heroic bench that recently manhandled the Eastern Conference’s No.1 seed; Jimmy Butler. Butler’s rise is of particular interest. After a season that saw the player – he who faced stints of homelessness during his teenage years, who was drafted 30th overall in 2011 – flip the proverbial script on his “role player” billing, the native Texan has been rewarded with the superstar treatment. Alongside recent endorsement deals with Mountain Dew and True Religion, Butler was also supposed to represent Chicago basketball wearing three stripes on his feet – not unlike core Bulls players Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. It seems that Butler has again challenged expectations though, dropping adidas last year in favor of Jordan Brand. Although he took a 75% pay cut to wear the Jumpman – this according to agent Happy Walters – the move has been a matter of personal preference. From this vantage point, the move lends Butler increased visibility, and we wonder how the switch informs Butler’s confidence in playing at an elite level. With the player open to negotiations as a free agent this summer, are we witnessing the beginning of next season’s superstar story? Be sure to leave thoughts on the move below.
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