Strangely enough, the most interesting story for Bulls fans at this year’s NBA Media Day didn’t even come from Chicago. That’s because former beloved Bull and NBA star Jimmy Butler captured headlines yesterday with what he assures us is not a wardrobe malfunction.
Up to his old antics again, you might remember Jimmy pulling off a similar stunt just one year ago. At Miami’s Media Day in 2022, Butler donned dreadlock extensions, which he insisted were real, despite the fact he looked rather ridiculous. This time, however, he seemed to be auditioning for a role with popular alternative rock bands like Paramore and My Chemical Romance.
“I’m Emo,” Jimmy told reporters, explaining the decision for his interesting hairstyle preference at Media Day. We should come to expect nothing less from Butler at this point, as he so clearly revels in riling people up and allowing his comedic side to be put on full display without any restraint.
Nobody does Media Day like Jimmy Butler does Media Day pic.twitter.com/mjCCblN2rz
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 2, 2023
Although it’s been 7 years since Jimmy Butler last played for Chicago, he’s still finding ways to entertain Bulls fans at Media Day.
Reporters weren’t the only people subjected to Butler’s hilarity, however, as he maintained the hairstyle through interviews and official photoshoots with the team. “The whole lip ring is annoying,” said teammate Bam Adebayo. Jimmy remained unphased, “This is my Halloween.”
It will be interesting to see if the league and media are willing to utilize Butler’s newest photos, or resort to other tactics as we witnessed last season. Once it became apparent Butler was playing a trick on the NBA with his decision to wear dreadlock extensions, NBA.com reverted his player image to the 2021-22 version, while ESPN made the very questionable decision to use his in-game character model from the NBA2K video game series.
ESPN used Jimmy Butler’s NBA 2K picture, because they’re tired of using his troll picture he took at the beginning of the season. 😂 pic.twitter.com/OoT1OB6mjg
— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) January 8, 2023
Despite his attire, Butler remained serious when it came with discussing his goals for the upcoming season, including defeating Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Bucks. Before he proceeds with getting revenge on Lillard, however, he’ll have to prove he can still surpass the Bulls.
It may seem like a lifetime ago now, but it mustn’t be forgotten that Chicago had the Eastern Conference champions on the ropes in the final minutes of their play-in tournament meeting. If Jimmy keeps his focus on things like the Bucks and choosing his next haircut, the Bulls might just catch him off guard next time around.