Jimmy Butler’s remarkable performances in the 2023 NBA Playoffs have earned him the title of “greatest playoff underdog in NBA history.”

Jimmy Butler reminded everyone earlier this year why he’s known as “Playoff Jimmy.” The 34-year-old NBA star stunneԀ everyone by defeating the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in a series, leading CBS Sports to nаme Butler “the greatest playoff underdog in NBA history” and leading the eighth-seeded Miami Heat to their second NBA finals in four years.

The six-time All-Star, however, has already set his sights on new goals. He told Rolling Stone that he intends to follow his dream of country music after playing basketball. He has enough songs recorded so far to make two albums. He declared, “There’s definitely going to be an album,” and he also unveiled his brand-new “emo” appearance.

Continue reading to find out more fascinating details about Butler, sometimes known as “Jimmy Buckets,” that you might not be aware of, before he becomes the next big country singer in America.

Butler had a challenging childhood

Jimmy Butler’s mother drove him out of their Tomball, Texas, home when he was thirteen years old, and his father abandoned the family when Butler was still a baby. “I don’t think you look good. Butler said, “She told him you gotta go.”

Butler left his family home and spent weeks at a time staying with different pals. However, Butler stated in 2015 that he is still close to both of his parents despite their difficult background. He declared, “I don’t hold grudges.” “I communicate with my family.”

Mark Wahlberg is one of his friends

Mark Wahlberg and Jimmy Butler in Los Angeles in May 2015

Mark Wahlberg and Butler first connected in 2013 when Butler was a player for the Chicago Bulls and the actor was in town for a Transformers film shoot. While taking a break from filming, Wahlberg befriended Butler by playing pickup basketball at the Bulls practice court. Since then, they have stayed in regular contact and have even taken a trip to Paris together.

He was 2015’s Most Improved Player

Jimmy Butler blocks a shot by DeMar DeRoan on December 28, 2015.

Jimmy Butler improved from 13.1 points per game to 20, which was the 15th most in the league that season, and went on to win the NBA Most Improved Player Award for the 2014–15 NBA season. According to the NBA, among all the players who had played in at least 40 games in each of those two seasons, his 6.9-point improvement from the previous year was the highest.

Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman said of the player, “He is extremely driven, and it is great to see all of the work that he has put in pay off for him and for us.” The first Bulls player to earn the Most Improved Player Award was Butler.

He broke one of Michael Jordan’s records

As expected, Michael Jordan owns a plethora of Chicago Bulls franchise records, but on January 3, 2016, Butler shattered one of them in a 115-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Jordan’s previous Bulls record for most points scored in a single half was broken by one point when Butler scored 40 of his 42 points in the second half.

He’s a big Neymar fan

Butler became interested in soccer during the Summer Olympics in 2016 and witnessed Brazil’s gold medal victory under Neymar. Since then, he has been a major fan of the soccer player, and the two quickly grew close. Neymar said of Jimmy to The New York Times, “He has a big heart.” Sincerity and honesty are the cornerstones of our friendship. Though he is reserved, what sets him apart is his sense of humor.

Butler’s love for country music is undoubtedly already well-known to his social media followers. He posted a video of himself singing along to Luke Combs’ “She Got the Best of Me” on TikTоk in 2020. Two years later, he posted a corresponding video on Instagram. Additionally, he played a major part in the music video for Luke Bryan’s famous song, “Light it Up.”

He had a historic NBA Finals performance

Getty ImagesLeBron James covers Jimmy Butler during Game 6 of the 2020 NBA Finals on October 11, 2020.

Butler led the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals in 2020, where they faced the Los Angeles Lakers, a year after joining the franchise. Butler scored 40 points, dished out 13 assists, and pulled down 11 rebounds in Game 3 of the Lakers’ six-game victory against the Hawks. He became just the third player in Finals history—Jerry West in 1969 and LeBron James in 2015—to record a triple-double of 40 points or more.

Butler has his own coffee brand

Getty ImagesJimmy Butler’s Bigface coffee company was inspired by the player’s disappointing experience during the 2020 NBA bubble.

When players were staying in the bio-secure NBA bubble in 2020 to prevent the spread of CоVID-19, Butler was dissatisfied with the coffee selections, so he started brewing his own with specialty beans he ordered from El Salvador. He even started selling cups of it to other NBA players for $20 each. This was the start of his personal coffee brand, Bigface, and he has since started his own coffee company.

He matched another Michael Jordan record

Getty ImagesJimmy Butler is defended by Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics during Game 7 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals on May 29.

Butler particularly shined during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics during the 2022 NBA Playoffs. He scored 41 points in Game 1 and 47 in a must-win Game 6, becoming the first player since Michael Jordan in 1988 to post multiple games with more than 40 points and four steals in the same series. Boston went on to win the series in Game 7.

Butler set a Heat franchise record for most 40-point playoff games

Getty ImagesJimmy Butler dunks the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks during Game 4 of the Heat-Bucks playoff series on April 24, 2023.

In the opening round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks were humiliated by the Miami Heat, shоcking fans. Butler became the first player from Miami to ever have back-to-back 40-point games in the postseason with his 56 points and 42 points in the final two games of the series.

Butler broke Dwyane Wade’s record in Game 5 by becoming the first player in Heat history to score 40 points or more in eight consecutive playoff games.