 Butler in 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| Miami Heat | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Assistant coach | ||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1980-03-13)March 13, 1980 (age 45) Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 228 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school |
| ||||||||||||||
| College | UConn (2000–2002) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2002: 1st round, 10th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Drafted by | Miami Heat | ||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2002–2016 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Small forward | ||||||||||||||
| Number | 4, 1, 3, 5, 2, 31 | ||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2020–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| As a player: | |||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Miami Heat | ||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Los Angeles Lakers | ||||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | Washington Wizards | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Dallas Mavericks | ||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Los Angeles Clippers | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Milwaukee Bucks | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Oklahoma City Thunder | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Detroit Pistons | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Sacramento Kings | ||||||||||||||
| As a coach: | |||||||||||||||
| 2020–present | Miami Heat (assistant) | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Points | 12,430 (14.1 ppg) | ||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 4,387 (5.0 rpg) | ||||||||||||||
| Assists | 2,007 (2.3 apg) | ||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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James Caron Butler (born March 13, 1980) is an American professionalbasketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for theMiami Heat of theNational Basketball Association. During his 14-year NBA career, he played for theMiami Heat,Los Angeles Lakers,Washington Wizards,Dallas Mavericks,Los Angeles Clippers,Milwaukee Bucks,Oklahoma City Thunder,Detroit Pistons, andSacramento Kings. Butler is a two-timeNBA All-Star. He was the 2002Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year while playing for theConnecticut Huskies.
Butler was born and raised inRacine, Wisconsin, where he suffered through a rough childhood; he was a drug dealer at age 12 and arrested 15 times before the age of 15.[1] Butler discovered his love for basketball while at a youth detention center.[1] Butler played inAmateur Athletic Union basketball in 1998 and 1999.[2] After a brief career atRacine Park High School,[3] he enrolled atMaine Central Institute where he was successful enough to receive a scholarship to attend theUniversity of Connecticut to play for theConnecticut Huskies men's basketball team for coachJim Calhoun for two years.
At Connecticut, Butler lost 15 pounds (6.8 kg) and developed his perimeter game. As a freshman, Butler led the Huskies, only two years removed from a national championship, in scoring (15.3 points per game) and rebounds (7.6 per game).[4] The summer after his freshman season, he started for the US team that took home gold in the 2001 FIBAWorld Championship for Young Men.[5]
Butler improved as a sophomore, averaging 20.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, leading the Huskies to regular-season and tournamentBig East titles. His accolades included Big East tournament MVP,[6] co-Big East player of the year (with Pittsburgh'sBrandin Knight), and second-teamAll-American.[7] Butler led the Huskies to theElite 8 of the NCAA basketball tournament. In the quarter-final game, he scored 32 points but the Huskies lost a close game to the eventual national championMaryland Terrapins.[7] After the season ended, Butler declared for the NBA draft.
Butler was a lottery pick in the2002 NBA draft, selected with the 10th overall pick by the rebuildingMiami Heat. Miami relied on the rookie Butler immediately: he started all 78 games he played in during the season. He finished with an average of 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game—the latter good for 8th in the league. Miami won just 25 games and missed the playoffs, but Butler excelled. He won rookie-of-the-month awards four times during the season, was picked to play in the rookie challenge game at that year's All-Star weekend in Atlanta, and at season's end was named to the first team on theNBA All-Rookie Team. After the season, Miami entered the draft lottery, draftedDwyane Wade, and acquiredLamar Odom from theLos Angeles Clippers.
In the 2003–2004 season, Butler struggled with injuries, starting just 56 of 68 games. His scoring average fell to 9.2 points, but Miami's balanced offense led by Wade, Odom, andEddie Jones propelled Miami into the playoffs. In the first round, the Heat and theNew Orleans Hornets battled in a grueling 7-game series in which the home team won every game. In game 7, Miami closed out the series with Butler scoring 23 points with 9 rebounds. The Heat advanced to the play the top-seededIndiana Pacers, who were heavily favored and won the first two games of the series before Miami responded with two home wins to tie the series at two games apiece. Butler scored 21 points with 10 rebounds in the fourth game, but the Pacers won the series in six games. After the season, Miami traded Butler, Odom andBrian Grant to theLos Angeles Lakers for superstar centerShaquille O'Neal.
The Lakers had been a title contender but were now in rebuilding mode led by superstar guardKobe Bryant. Butler started in all of his 77 games in the 2004–2005 season, averaging 15.5 points a game with a then-career-high field-goal percentage of 44.5% percent. The Lakers struggled with injuries and a midseason coaching change, and failed to make the playoffs. The Lakers traded Butler andChucky Atkins to theWashington Wizards forKwame Brown andLaron Profit.
Upon arriving in Washington, Butler signed a 5-year, $46 million deal. He became part of Washington's new "Big 3", a trio made up of teammatesGilbert Arenas andAntawn Jamison. Butler was nicknamed "Tough Juice"[8] by coachEddie Jordan for his aggressive and passionate play,[9] epitomized by Butler's 20 rebounds in the Game 6 loss of the playoff-opening-round series againstLeBron James and theCleveland Cavaliers.
On January 17, 2007, Butler made his first game-winning basket, a dunk off a pass fromDeShawn Stevenson with 2.2 seconds remaining against theKnicks to give the Wizards a 99–98 win.[10] Butler was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for January 15–21, 2007.[11] It was his best season yet, posting career-high averages in rebounds, assists, and points. He was named as a reserve to the 2007 NBA Eastern Conference All-Star team, his first appearance.[12] He broke his hand late in the season attempting to block a shot and sat out the playoffs, along with the injured Gilbert Arenas, and the Wizards were swept in their opening-round rematch with the Cavaliers.
In the 2007-08 season, Butler, who was sidelined with a hip injury, was nonetheless selected as a reserve for theEast in the2008 NBA All-Star Game inNew Orleans, Louisiana. He missed 20 of the Wizards' last 35 games of the season. He returned to the lineup on March 13 (his 28th birthday), when the Wizards hosted the Cavaliers. He scored 19 points (8-for-18 field goals) and five rebounds in 41 minutes in the Wizards' 101–99 win.[13]
On February 13, 2010, Butler was traded to theDallas Mavericks along withBrendan Haywood andDeshawn Stevenson forJosh Howard,Drew Gooden,James Singleton, andQuinton Ross.[14] The Mavericks qualified for the2010 NBA Playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference, but were upset in six games by theSan Antonio Spurs in the first round.[15]
On January 4, 2011, Butler was ruled out for the rest of the 2010–11 season after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured right patellar tendon.[16] The Mavericks went on to defeat theMiami Heat 4–2 in the2011 NBA Finals to claim their first NBA championship.[17]
On December 9, 2011, Butler signed a three-year, $24 million deal with theLos Angeles Clippers. During his two seasons as a starter with the Clippers, he helped the team reach the playoffs twice.
On July 10, 2013, Butler was traded to thePhoenix Suns alongsideEric Bledsoe in a three-way trade that had bothJared Dudley from the Suns andJJ Redick from theMilwaukee Bucks join the Clippers and two different second round picks being sent to the Bucks.[18] On August 29, 2013, the Suns traded Butler to theMilwaukee Bucks forIsh Smith andViacheslav Kravtsov.[19] On November 22, Butler scored a game-leading 38 points, his largest single game total since 2009, during an overtime 115–107 loss to thePhiladelphia 76ers.[20]
On February 27, 2014, Butler was bought out of his contract by the Bucks,[21] and in 34 games, he averaged 11.0 points per game.
On March 1, 2014, Butler signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder.[22] Butler finished the season having played in 22 regular season games and 17 playoff games for the Thunder, as they qualified for the Western Conference Finals where they were defeated by theSan Antonio Spurs.
On July 15, 2014, Butler signed with theDetroit Pistons to a reported two-year, $9 million contract.[23][24]
On June 11, 2015, Butler was traded, along withShawne Williams, to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange forErsan İlyasova.[25] However, he was later waived by the Bucks on June 30, 2015.[26]
On July 23, 2015, Butler signed with theSacramento Kings.[27] He received minimal minutes during the 2015–16 season and made just 17 appearances, averaging 3.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.
On June 21, 2016, Butler exercised his player option with the Kings for the 2016–2017 season.[28] However, he was later waived by the Kings on July 4, 2016, after he reached an agreement with the team to have his contract bought out.[29]
Butler's final NBA game was on April 11, 2016, in a 105 - 101 victory over thePhoenix Suns where he recorded 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block.
Butler announced his retirement on February 6, 2018.[30]
On November 14, 2020, theMiami Heat announced that they had hired Butler as assistant coach.[31]
In 2015, Butler released an autobiography entitledTuff Juice: My Journey from the Streets to the NBA.[32] In 2019Mark Wahlberg signed on as the executive producer of Butler'sbiopic of the same name.[33]
In 2017, he participated within Global Mixed Gender Basketball (GMGB), which is the first professional basketball league to support unified play between men and women, by being a color commentator for games. He also owns a team in the newly developed league known as the Wisconsin Cheeseheads.
Also in 2017, Butler joinedESPN as full-time college basketball and NBA analyst.[34] In 2018 Butler joined FS1 as an NBA analyst.
Caron Butler is a Christian. After Butler was sent to a juvenile institution, he began to change his life by readingBible verses. Butler began taking his interest in basketball seriously when he looked out his window at a basketball court at Ethan Allen Juvenile Detention. Butler spoke of it saying, "God puts stuff in front of you for a reason." Butler also said, "God put his hands on my life. [God] said, 'I'm going to touch you so that you can touch others.'"[35]
Butler attended a surprise birthday party for Anthony Fadel, a 16-year-old in the Washington, D.C. area when invited by the boy's family.[36] The party was held in May 2007, and the event was primarily reported by blogs, since Wizards'PR purposely did not cover the event to preserve the sincerity of Butler's gesture.[37]
After working atBurger King in his youth, Butler now owns six of the fast food restaurants across the United States.[38] He has taken Business Management classes atDuke University.[38]
Butler is the son of Mattie Claybrook Paden. His father left him when he was born to join theMarines. His mother married Melvin and he has younger brother Melvin III.[39][40]
Caron and Andrea Pink Butler met atUConn's pre college summer program. After their sophomore year they traveled toLas Vegas in 2005 and married. Butler has a daughter and son from a previous relationship.[41] With wife Andrea he has three other daughters.[42]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | Miami | 78 | 78 | 36.6 | .416 | .318 | .824 | 5.1 | 2.7 | 1.8 | .4 | 15.4 |
| 2003–04 | Miami | 68 | 56 | 29.9 | .380 | .238 | .756 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .2 | 9.2 |
| 2004–05 | L.A. Lakers | 77 | 77 | 35.7 | .445 | .304 | .862 | 5.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 | .3 | 15.5 |
| 2005–06 | Washington | 75 | 54 | 36.1 | .455 | .342 | .870 | 6.2 | 2.5 | 1.7 | .2 | 17.6 |
| 2006–07 | Washington | 63 | 63 | 39.3 | .463 | .250 | .863 | 7.4 | 3.7 | 2.1 | .3 | 19.1 |
| 2007–08 | Washington | 58 | 58 | 39.9 | .466 | .357 | .901 | 6.7 | 4.9 | 2.2 | .3 | 20.3 |
| 2008–09 | Washington | 67 | 67 | 38.6 | .453 | .310 | .858 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 1.6 | .3 | 20.8 |
| 2009–10 | Washington | 47 | 47 | 39.4 | .422 | .263 | .877 | 6.7 | 2.3 | 1.4 | .3 | 16.9 |
| 2009–10 | Dallas | 27 | 27 | 34.4 | .440 | .340 | .760 | 5.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | .3 | 15.2 |
| 2010–11† | Dallas | 29 | 29 | 29.9 | .450 | .431 | .773 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 1.0 | .3 | 15.0 |
| 2011–12 | L.A. Clippers | 63 | 63 | 29.7 | .407 | .358 | .813 | 3.7 | 1.2 | .8 | .1 | 12.0 |
| 2012–13 | L.A. Clippers | 78 | 78 | 24.1 | .424 | .388 | .833 | 2.9 | 1.0 | .7 | .1 | 10.4 |
| 2013–14 | Milwaukee | 34 | 13 | 24.1 | .387 | .361 | .839 | 4.6 | 1.6 | .7 | .3 | 11.0 |
| 2013–14 | Oklahoma City | 22 | 0 | 27.2 | .409 | .441 | .842 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | .3 | 9.7 |
| 2014–15 | Detroit | 78 | 21 | 20.8 | .407 | .379 | .902 | 2.5 | 1.0 | .6 | .1 | 5.9 |
| 2015–16 | Sacramento | 17 | 1 | 10.4 | .424 | .167 | .833 | 1.3 | 0.6 | .5 | .1 | 3.7 |
| Career | 881 | 732 | 32.2 | .434 | .348 | .847 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 1.3 | .2 | 14.1 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 16.0 | .143 | .000 | .000 | 4.0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Miami | 13 | 13 | 39.3 | .386 | .182 | .825 | 8.5 | 2.4 | 2.2 | .5 | 12.8 |
| 2006 | Washington | 6 | 6 | 43.7 | .416 | .214 | .828 | 10.5 | 2.7 | 2.0 | .7 | 18.5 |
| 2008 | Washington | 6 | 6 | 41.0 | .460 | .238 | .871 | 5.7 | 3.8 | 1.8 | .2 | 18.7 |
| 2010 | Dallas | 6 | 6 | 33.7 | .434 | .304 | .926 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 1.5 | .8 | 19.7 |
| 2012 | L.A. Clippers | 10 | 10 | 26.8 | .359 | .258 | .750 | 3.0 | 1.0 | .6 | .2 | 8.6 |
| 2013 | L.A. Clippers | 6 | 6 | 22.7 | .478 | .250 | 1.000 | 2.7 | .0 | .3 | .3 | 8.5 |
| 2014 | Oklahoma City | 17 | 2 | 23.8 | .333 | .368 | .800 | 3.2 | .9 | .2 | .1 | 6.5 |
| Career | 64 | 49 | 31.7 | .401 | .289 | .840 | 5.3 | 1.6 | 1.1 | .3 | 11.8 | |
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