![]() ![]() During his rookie season, he caught the attention of the entire league. Coming off of such an extraordinary season, Butler decided the time was right to declare for the 2002 NBA Draft.īutler was a lottery pick in the NBA draft, selected tenth overall by the Miami Heat. His leadership and dominant play also helped the Huskies advance to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. He was named Co-Big East Player of the Year and made Second-Team, All-American. Averaging 20.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, Butler led UConn to an outright Big East Championship in 2002. He returned to UConn with an even greater competitive edge. ![]() The summer between his freshman and sophomore year at UConn, Butler helped lead the United States to a gold medal in one of the most prestigious international basketball tournaments, the 2001 FIBA World Championship for Young Men. As a freshman, Butler led the entire team in scoring and rebounding with 15.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He showed up to camp ready to compete, and compete he did. During his years there, Butler polished his game and earned a scholarship to play for Coach Jim Calhoun at the legendary Big East powerhouse, the University of Connecticut.īefore he even started a game for the Huskies, Butler demonstrated his competitive spirit as he worked out and lost 15 pounds off of his six foot seven inch frame in order to improve his agility. With a renewed enthusiasm and hunger for success, Butler moved to Maine to attend Maine Central Institute. After seeing her pain, he knew he had to change. He says one of the most defining moments was watching his mother’s eyes as he rode away in the back of a squad car the last of fifteen times before he turned 15. ![]() However, Butler credits his trouble-ridden past for providing him with the motivation he needed to transform his life. He was a standout basketball player at Racine Park High School, but playing professional basketball and getting out of Racine did not even seem within the realm of possibility, especially considering the propensity he had for running into trouble with the law. He came from a troubled background, growing up on the streets of Racine, Wisconsin. ![]() Though Butler now finds himself as a NBA-league veteran, the road to becoming a successful basketball player was not an easy one for him. This commitment to aggressive yet passionate play led former-coach Eddie Jordan to give Butler the nickname “Tuff Juice.” It is this style of play that has solidified Butler as one of the most prominent forwards in the game today. Butler defends the basket with ferocity, and challenges anyone who stands in his way. He is receptive to his coaches and to his teammates, he is reliable on and off the court, and he constantly thinks about what he can do to benefit the team and his community. His competitive drive is accompanied by a winning mindset and he approaches every situation with a positive attitude. He trains mercilessly, studies intently, and plays tenaciously. The two-time All-Star also appeared in 65 postseason games, winning a title with the Mavericks in 2011, though he was unable to suit up for Dallas during those playoffs due to an injury.Īlthough Butler only spent the first two years of his playing career with the Heat, he had a significant impact in those two seasons, per Reynolds, who notes ( via Twitter) that Dwyane Wade credited Butler for teaching him everything he knows “ about how to be a professional.” Spoelstra was an assistant on Miami’s staff during Butler’s stint with the team, so their relationship dates back nearly two decades.īutler will help fill the hole on the Heat’s sidelines created when veteran assistant Dan Craig left for the Clippers.Caron Butler plays basketball with an edge. When he retired, Butler said he intended to remain involved in the game “in some form or another” - this will be his first coaching role.īutler, 40, averaged 14.1 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 881 career regular season games between 20, racking up 12,430 points over the course of his 14 NBA seasons. Having last appeared in the NBA in 2016 and having announced his retirement in 2018, Butler has spent the last few years working as a basketball analyst. NOVEMBER 13: The Heat are hiring former NBA forward Caron Butler as an assistant coach on Erik Spoelstra‘s staff, a source tells Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press ( Twitter link). NOVEMBER 14: The move is official, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. ![]()
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