Jimmy Butler's Free Agency Vlog | Ep 1 Family

Free agency is right around the corner. I'm nervous. I think I'm nervous because this is so new to me. It wasn't about money, it wasn't about fame, it wasn't about what college you gonna go to. All it was was kids going out here and hoopin', man. I have a billion questions.

I mean, I think it's a lot, you know, 'cause he's gotta make a decision for what, 7 or 8 of us?

I mean, I know what's gonna make you the most happy.

I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about you. The biggest thing is make sure that The family is all good. Y'all gonna be mad when I choose to quit and go play soccer though, for real. Do y'all take pesos? I think that the questions that I ask myself, I have to ask every individual that's around me on a daily basis. My family, my friends, because this decision of where I play at next, I think it weighs just as heavily on them as it does myself. Where would you pick?

Um, Beijing, China.

I feel like a kid again out here doing this shit.

I feel like a kid too. That's outside in 100-degree fucking weather. Hey, basketball is where you build bonds and make friends. The little neighborhood we had, all the kids that we had, we'll come out here and compete. We didn't know nothing else except for having fun. It wasn't about money, it wasn't about fame, it wasn't about what college you gonna go to. All it was was kids going out here and hooping. And what's even crazier is this is how I used to get myself confidence whenever I was little. I would stand right here and I'd be like, "If I make this, I'm going to the NBA." Except for I would make it. Like this. And I'd be like, if I make this, going to college. Take a step back. If I make this, I'm gonna be in the Hall of Fame. If I make this, I'm gonna get a max contract. Make sure I made that motherfucker. Marquise is, he's special. I take his opinion in just like I take everybody else's. Mac, He makes everything lighthearted. It's all fun and games until it doesn't have to be fun and games.

I feel like it's a lot on his plate right now for him to try to make what he feels like is the best and the right decision. And especially like when you think about it somewhere where he's going to be for the next, what, 4 or 5 years? So I mean, it's a lot. It's a lot on his plate right now. I mean, obviously basketball plays a big part of it, but you gotta think about life outside of basketball, which is what we've been talking about a lot, or what we do talk about a lot.

I wanna take you to the park. This is where we would come. This is where we would come before the fame, before college, hell, before high school, after high school. And what you don't see is there used to be another, there used to be another goal right here. That's why that patch of grass is down there. This used to be able to go up and down.

This motherfucker's over with.

And all of this used to be dirt. All of it.

Like, literally all the way down to the other court, like—

So right now, exhibit A, if you dribble the ball— I mean, if you hit it hard enough, it's gonna come up, but— But whenever you dribble the ball and make that bitch into dirt, so like— You dribble it enough to where the grass turns into dirt and you kill the grass. Grass. Yeah, so this was, this was all dirt. Yeah, and then this was, this was our little court. We'll go back and forth right here. I think about it, you could probably shoot it from that end and make it in that goal, but at that point in time, who the hell was even thinking about that? Facts. Uh, but that's it. This is, this is where the memories for real started. Let's just say that it's not about me, it's about you, it's about your family. What would you want? That's the same thing that I would ask you, you know what I'm saying? The same thing I asked Fonzo, James, You know, I wanna talk to you about this free agency stuff, but please don't say Houston. Just look at this weather. It is hot out here. James Scott, AKA Gunny. By the way, that's a reference to Mark Wahlberg in Shooter, greatest movie of all time. But James has a family, two little boys, Dom and Zane, a beautiful wife. He gives up so much time with his family family.

But you know, it's tough because like all of us like around you are trying to like find the best scenario for you.

Yes.

We know you.

I agree. And everybody knows when I'm happy, everything run a lot smoother. But I wanna— I want the same thing for y'all. Like, I hate it that, um, you didn't get to see them every single day, you know what I mean? Like, I know that shit fuck with you too. That shit fuck with me. Zane, what do you think?

Where should I play next year?

My team. Who?

What team?

I really wanna ask Dom, 'cause Dom know. Yeah. I got a question for you.

What?

You ready?

Yes.

What team do you want me to play for in the NBA? Any team, you get to pick any team. What team do you choose? Uh, it's a hard one. Either has to be Clippers or Oklahoma.

Clip?

They can clip. Oh yeah, that makes sense.

And the Thunder can what? They can thunder?

Yes.

Ah.

I love Rania, but I think if Rania throws Zayn up in the air, I don't think he's laughing. It's like, "Shit, is Bob gonna catch me? Bob's not as strong as Dad." So, yeah. So that's, I don't know. But I see you're beating around the bush here. Not trying to— I'm good at it.

Um, all right, not me. What are the choices? Philly and LA? No.

Anywhere? You know all the teams that I could go to, so.

I mean, the big teams like in the cities, I wouldn't want to live in a city like Brooklyn.

I wouldn't, as you know, I wouldn't live in the city anyways.

Yeah.

I wouldn't live in the city anyways. Me and you the same in that, like I'm cool with driving 4 40 minutes to get to Sugar Land.

I'm cool with driving 40 minutes.

Like, if I play here, I'll probably still live in fucking Tomball. Just gonna get on the highway and going to work every day. You don't gotta stunt. Look at you. You see the camera on you, now you like, "Oh no, let me act right." Yeah, but as soon as he scoot back and you don't realize he's still there, that's when you start acting up. I just want everybody to be happy, bro. That's it. That's all it is. That's all it's about for me. Reginald. Ifani called. You're talking about my ace, the guy that I do everything with, from going to Sessicaia, and the world knows that that's my favorite winery, to joking around in Rome and pretending to be gladiators. He brings that part out of me. Whenever it's not about basketball, which majority of the time it isn't, I know that I can always be myself and have fun, joke around and be a kid whenever he's around and he's involved. I think that's key for me.

Like now it's like he has the opportunity to, you know, fill out places, like go and see what the places, you know, have to offer. 'Cause he likes to interact with, you know, everybody in the organization. He doesn't just come to work and it's just straight basketball. Like I'm going to the gym to practice and, you know, I'm just gonna talk to my coaches and, you know, talk to, one or two trainers and I'm leaving. Like, he likes to interact with everybody within the organization.

I think it's a big decision for him to make. His mind's probably going crazy. Like, I couldn't even imagine, like, trying to make a decision that hinges on 10 people.

Realistically though, like, you can't be like, oh shit, let's go to Golden State. Like, come on. You know what I'm saying? Like, realistically, out of all the teams that you know, that come down into it. So I think there's a lot more to talk about that we will talk about.

You gotta try to factor in like what everybody else wants and like what's best for them and like what's best for everybody. So when you think about trying to please everybody, everybody knows you can't please everybody.

Do y'all take pesos?

No, sorry.

They don't take pesos. Okay, nevermind.

Thank you.

All right, have a good one.

All right.

No, no, I want the coffee though.

Okay, sure.

Okay. I'm pulling around, don't worry. They don't take pesos, so we gotta play with American dollars.

This is the last time I'm paying for coffee for you.

Mondo.

What?

Put the change back in your pocket.

What?

Armando Rivas. Even though I pronounce his last name wrong on purpose and I say Armando Rivieras, but you know, who's keeping count, who cares? That's my dog. Been with me since my Chicago days. Up and came to Minnesota when I was there. Now we're here in Philly, you know, he has a family, he has a baby girl, and he has to up and move all because I'm up and moving. Thinking about that, but he's there every single step of the way. Every morning when I'm up lifting at 4 AM, he's there. I want to know why you want to be there. I don't want you to be like, oh, because I see you know, the look on your face whenever you're in LA. Yeah, every— I think the fucking world knows that.

I would love to see you play in warm weather.

It's different, right?

Yeah, just different.

I wake up different in warm weather.

Yeah.

Every night when I'm back shooting, he's there. Every game, he's there stretching me, making sure that I'm ready to go. In anything that I need, he's always there. I'm grateful for him. But I don't want anybody to just say, "Yo, man, you gotta do whatever makes you happy." Because what makes me happy is legit, genuinely, is if y'all are happy, I'm cool. 'Cause we all say the same thing. We all say, "Yo, as long as I got my people, I'm good." The amount of time that he has to give up being with his beautiful family just to make sure I can go out here and play a game, it matters to me. And I'm really grateful.

But I just think until we get everybody in the same room, like everybody can bring up different points.

Yeah. And then everybody can feed off— yeah, right. Yeah. Until everybody can contradict everybody else's opinion and like have that type of a discussion, I don't think that we're ever going to truly get like that answer that we— I mean, we'll figure it out because, uh, I'll tell you what, time's winding down. The 30th will be here before we know it.

Is it June 30th or July?

June. Well, fellas, uh, we're almost to that time, as we all know. I just wanted to get everybody in the same room to lock in and figure out what everybody thinks that I should do. Free agency is right around the corner. For you three, I think the— if you're asking me, I would think that the biggest thing is make sure that the family is all good. Speaking of family, RJ sitting here playing with his 18 wheeler. I'm sorry. I think that that's key and that's what I look at whenever I'm looking at where would I play.

How many more years do you want to play? Do you want to play 5? You just want to play 4?

My mind changes on that every day. I think, man, when I do have kids and I do have a family, I think, you know, you look at stuff a little bit differently. You start prioritizing things differently. Right now, if I had to pick, man, 4 or 5. That could be cool.

Start having kids, you start thinking 6, 7 maybe?

6, 7, or it go the other way. Hell, I'm cool with 4 or 5, so now I get to spend— Be at the restaurant. Yeah, my life watching them grow up, you know what I'm saying? Instead of being on the road all the time. Shit, hell, you was away from your kids for this whole past— It's tough, right? Gotta be, man. You miss so much. I can only imagine if I'm away and I miss my kid start walking or start talking. You know what I'm saying?

The one thing I told you when we first, when we met was this.

Which one was first, the smile or the sunshine? Smile.

Smile? Yeah.

You gotta be happy 'cause when you're happy and you're focused, you're working with James, you're working with me, you're good at home. Like, and you know, it's a lot more pleasant.

Houston wouldn't be my first choice.

Well, what's your first choice then?

I mean, you always want us to make our decision based on us.

Yeah.

But like my first choice would be based off of like where you can make the most money. And so that's pretty much mine. Like where we make the most would be my first choice. So yeah.

That's what you want too, huh?

I ain't gonna stunt. Like I was on the whole like Philly kick, you know what I'm saying, first. 'Cause I didn't really think like Houston was like, I didn't think it was an option, but whenever they threw Houston in there with like everything, it's like Houston is cool. Like obviously from the whole family standpoint, like it's cheaper down there to live. You know what I mean? We can all, you know, be around each other close, kids and all that, play with each other, you know, all that stuff.

See, it's crazy, man. Cause it's some new elements now.

You know what I mean?

I used to be Philly, Philly, Philly, Philly, Philly, but it's like, I mean, like, when you sit there and you think about it, like, Houston's guard-oriented, like, like, and we've been to Houston, like, what, 2 or 3 times this summer, and it's like, it's not as bad as we thought it was.

Facts.

Uh, obviously, like, it's cheaper. I mean, I don't know, bro. Like, I like Philly too, because I know, I know y'all can win, and I, like, I don't really, I mean, I think y'all can win in Houston because like the Warriors aren't gonna be the same. The West, I don't think it's gonna be like that. You know what I mean? Like, it just, there's new factors now. I just, I don't know. I'm kind of, I'm really in between, but.

Between Philly and Houston?

Yeah.

The thing with the league is so many things change every year. That's part of the unknown about free agency is you don't know how you gonna vibe with any coach. 'Cause they all gonna tell me what I want to hear.

That's it. Exactly what you want to hear.

It's like being recruited in college. Exactly. They're going to tell you what you want to hear until you get there in the middle of it, you know what I'm saying? And it all sounds fine and dandy, but I mean, you can't bullshit me. I know when the truth is the truth. And it's just like, yo, look, man, relax, all right? That's not— that's not even remotely realistic, my brothers. And RJ?

Ah, eat it, come on.

Appreciate y'all, family.

Cheers.

Yeah, yeah, let's show 'em.