“He made that type of impression on each one of us in those two years. There are some players who you have that connection with and Caron was one of them. “He only played two years for us, but it felt like and still feels like he’s been a member of our family for life. Spoelstra said Butler made an immediate, profound impression on him. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra first encountered Butler back in 2002 when the former was an assistant coach and Butler was the team’s first-round draft pick, the 10 th overall selection. “He had a great career, an illustrious career, and I’m very proud to spend time with him.’’ “He was always very good to me and wanted to be like a mentor for me. “He would leave me notes in my locker, just words of encouragement, always trying to uplift me after a tough game,’’ Durant said. I remember when we went to another city, he would go with me to work out or shoot around, little stuff like that, and that meant a lot to me as a player and as a person.’’ĭurant said Butler was the consummate teammate, always having his back. “Caron taught me a lot about the NBA, a lot about being professional,’’ Durant said. Durant, like Bledsoe, said Butler frequently conversed with him about basketball and life. Durant, arguably the best player on the planet, was a teammate of Butler’s while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2013-2014 season.ĭurant said he and Butler hit it off right away and have remained extremely close since. Those words hit home with Kevin Durant as well. As a young player, it’s great to have someone like Caron. “When I wasn’t playing, Caron was telling me to be patient,’’ Bledsoe said. Bledsoe said Butler kept him grounded and lifted him up when he was down. Caron just taught me to be professional on and off the court.’’īledsoe, now the starting point guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, said Butler helped him more than just being nattily attired. “He told me one of the things you have to do as an NBA player is look presentable, so he got me that suit. He taught me those aspects of being a professional. “I mean, Caron was big on being a professional and, with me being so young, I needed someone like him. “Caron bought me my first suit,’’ Bledsoe said with a huge smile. In 2011, with Bledsoe entering his second NBA season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Butler took him under his wing. Like leadership and commitment to his team and to the community the team was in. Talk to anyone who coached Butler or played with him during his NBA career and they’ll inevitably bring up the intangibles he brought to a team, intangibles that can’t be calculated, intangibles that the general public can’t statistically wrap themselves around. That average would, easily, lead the NBA this season. During the 2007-2008 season, he ranked as high as fourth at 39.9 minutes. In three seasons, Butler ranked among the league’s top 10 leaders in minutes per game. That’s why, despite not having gaudy numbers, he was twice chosen to the NBA All-Star Game and why he was constantly given major minutes by his coaches, all who fully realized Butler could help their teams in a variety of ways. Indeed, while Butler, who formally announced his retirement last week, wasn’t a scoring or rebounding machine, he did a lot of things well. “Caron’s a stats-stuffer,’’ Washington Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld often said of the 6-foot-7 Butler, who played four-plus seasons for the Wizards. In two seasons, he ranked among the top nine in steals. He boasted a complete game: he was a good rebounder, a good passer and good defender. To consider this: He played in 881 games and started in 732 of them and he recorded four seasons in which he averaged more than 16 points per game, including two seasons of more than 20 points.īut scoring was just one aspect of Butler’s game. In 14 seasons as a pro, Butler fashioned some impressive numbers, ones that vividly illustrate he just wasn’t your run-of-the-mill player. The numbers tell a lot but hardly everything about Caron Butler’s NBA career.
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