Jimi Butler's journey to National Basketball Association (NBA) stardom has not been the easiest. Nothing of worth is smooth sailing. His journey is rather unprecedented for a kid whose favourite sport wasn't even basketball but football.
Jimmy's misfortunes began at the age of 13 when his father abandoned Jimmy's mother.
Her disgruntled mother later threw the young Jimmy out simply because he looked exactly like the man who abandoned her.
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Jimmy found himself in the streets and when in high school he would hop from one friend's house to the next which made him feel like a burden to his friends.
In the trying moments of his life, Jimmy found solace in basketball which he started playing for fun. He did not see himself playing basketball since he was a small-bodied kid.
It was when he joined the Tomball High School basketball team that he first dreamt of becoming a professional basketball player.
In the final year of high school, he became friends with Jordan Lesley. Their bond was so strong that Jordan's parents decided to adopt Jimmy - a rare but compassionate act by the couple.
Jimmy's desire to join the NBA meant he had to join a reputable university team to increase his chances. Though Butler was named all-district first-team after averaging 19 points and 8 rebounds per game his senior year of high school, he did not receive interest from big schools.
His dwindling academic prospects made him lose the chance of joining a reputable university team. He ended up at Tyler Junior College. There, Butler drew national attention with a series of 30 and 40 point games in his freshman year.
His incredible performance led him to Marquette after declining several offers. Marquette turned out to have his nightmare. He met disapproving coaches who would even physically assault him during training sessions.
It was at this point that he contemplated quitting basketball. Nevertheless, in his second year at Marquette, Butler averaged 14 points and 6 rebounds in 34 minutes per game and became the team's most successful player.
After a bumpy ride in Marquette, he made his NBA debut in 2011 after Chicago Bulls picked him in the 30th pick of the season.
Butler proved himself to be a useful 3-and-D wing over the first three years with the Chicago Bulls, but he was outshone by players like Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah.
In the 2014/15 NBA season, Butler,32, bounced back with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game to become the Most Improved Player.
After exiting Chicago Butler joined Miami Heat on a Ksh 16.3 billion contract. He has remained in Miami Heat to date and received the mentorship of the great Lebron James and phenomenal success.
Jimmy earns an estimated Ksh351 million monthly salary. As the 2021/22 NBA season comes to a close on June 20th Butler will have pocketed Ksh 4.2 billion making him one of the highest-paid NBA stars.