Jimmy Butler's Dad Jimmy Was a Truck Driver - Facts about Him

Jimmy Butler endured a challenging childhood that left him scarred. His dad left him and his mom when he was just a baby. His mother also later kicked him out of the house and said hurtful words.

Jimmy is a professional basketball player for the Miami Heat who has won the MVP award at the Portsmouth Invitational.

His performance at the Chicago pre-draft made quite an impression on scouts. Jimmy has been highly praised by almost every GM and NBA scout he previously worked with.

In June 2011, one GM said, "There were so many times in his life where he was set up to fail. Every time, he overcame just enormous odds."

Jimmy happens to be reserved when it comes to his personal life, said the GM. The NBA star was abandoned by his father at a young age (just like actor Johnny Depp's father, who left him when he was 15).

Jimmy Butler's Father Left Him as an Infant

Jimmy Butler was named after his father, Jimmy, who was a truck driver. At birth, the athlete was named Jimmy Butler III. Not much is known about the sportsman's dad.

Given that his father's name is also Jimmy, the famous star continued the family tradition as there was another Jimmy Butler on his dad's side of the family.

Jimmy was born to Londa and Jimmy Sr. Butler on September 14, 1989. But when he was an infant, Jimmy Sr. left him with his mother. At 13, Jimmy's mother kicked him out of the family home. He revealed that she told him she "didn't like the look of him."

He had to stay with friends as long as he could and would move from one place to the next so that he could get some rest at night.

Jimmy Butler Loves His Dad to Death

When his extended relatives did not help him, he moved in with another friend, Jermaine Thomas. They lived in a two-bedroom house rented by Thomas's father. In February 2015, Jimmy said of his relationship with his pal:

"We were always together as kids. I consider him to be my brother."

Jimmy lived from hand-to-mouth for another two years until he met Jordan Leslie (a freshman) before his senior year – at a basketball tournament. The pair quickly bonded over their shared love of sports.

Jimmy used to sleep at Leslie's house, who became his close friend. Eventually, Leslie's mom, Michelle Lambert, welcomed then-16-year-old Jimmy into their home.

The engineer revealed he was a "deathly shy" and a "very quiet" teenager. Lambert also stated Jimmy was a "damaged little bird" who had trust issues, and because she could see his pain, she never asked about his past life.

In time, his dad came back into his life and has followed his basketball career over the years. In 2015, the pair were reportedly working on their father-son relationship. The Miami Heat star admitted:

"I love my dad to death."

Jimmy does not dwell on the past and prefers not to talk about it. He does not want what happened to him to "define" him. The Texas native said:

"If I continue to be stuck in the past, then I won't get any better. I won't change, I'll get stuck as that kid. That's not who I am. [..] I don't hold grudges."

In an October 2015 interview, Jimmy revealed that he still keeps in contact with his parents, adding they all "love each other." He stressed that no one is without flaws and that even though it took a while for him to forgive his mom and dad, he eventually did.

Meanwhile, in a 2020 interview, Jimmy talked about the drink he was promoting and mentioned that his father, who reportedly stayed with him at the time, also loved the drink.

The Fan Theory About Michael Jordan Being Jimmy Butler's Father

Although Jimmy Butler did not have a stable father figure, that did not deter him. Along the way, he befriended actor Mark Wahlberg, whom he met in 2013.

The movie star was in Chicago filming "Transformers," then, and they met up at a bowling alley and exchanged numbers. Jimmy later met Wahlberg's family and became highly inspired by his work ethic, and learned discipline from him.

Despite their warm relationship, fans have linked Jimmy with another father figure. In 2022, there was a conspiracy theory that Michael Jordan might be his dad. Londa allegedly revealed Jimmy's dad left him to protect his name. Jordan previously cheated on his wife and impregnated another woman.

He avoided leaving his family and opted to pay the woman for the next 13 years, around the same time Londa chased out her son. Moreover, the two share a resemblance from photos when they were younger.