Jimmy Butler’s life seems to have been taken directly out of a Hollywood production.

It’s the basketball equivalent of the amazing story of Michael Oher’s transformation from destitute youth to NFL hero, made popular by the Sandra Bullock film “The Blind Side.”

Jimmy Butler was taken in by Michelle Lambert when he was 17 years old

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Butler was recently awarded the NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy

When Butler was barely 13 years old, his mother forcibly removed him from the family home following his father’s early abandonment.

“I don’t think you look good. The Miami Heat star remembered his mother’s final words to him: “You gotta go.”

The adolescent from Tomball, Texas, who spent the next four years bouncing from house to house, could have been broken by that moment.

But during a shooting competition at a basketball camp in Butler’s senior year of high school, he befriended Jordan Leslie, and that was a turning point in his life.

After the two student athletes grew close, Butler was adopted by Leslie’s mother Michelle Lambert, who was already a mother to seven children.

Butler needed a curfew and better grades at school, so Lambert insisted on setting some ground rules for him.

He was content to accept the possibility of at last having some steadiness in his life.

Lambert told ESPN, “I told him my kids looked up to him.”

His mission was to avoid trouble. Put up a lot of effort in the classroom. He needed to be an exemplar. Furthermore, what do you know? It was Jimmy.

“He completed everything I asked of him without question.”

Butler, who now refers to Lambert as his “mom,” will always be appreciative of the chance she gave him.

Butler remarked, “They welcomed me into their family.”

And it had nothing to do with basketball. She was simply incredibly affectionate.

She simply did such things. It was unbelievable to me.

Butler’s basketball career quickly took off; during his senior year, he averaged 19.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game for the Tomball High School Cougars.

After being passed over by larger colleges, Butler was only able to get a scholarship at the local Tyler Junior College, making the possibility of an NBA career seem remote at best.

Following an outstanding season at Tyler, Marquette, Kentucky, Clemson, Mississippi State, and Iowa State were among the many offers that Butler received.

After deciding to transfer to Marquette in 2008, Butler started to draw interest from NBA scouts following game-winning baskets against St. John’s and the University of Connecticut.

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