Hey, Millionaire! These days, we idolize sports stars in a big way. They're role models, warriors,
and celebrities all rolled into one! With all that prestige that we give to them,
it's hard to imagine they've ever been anything other than superhuman. But not all sports stars
started out at the top. Actually, some of them started out at the bottom of the heap.
You might be shocked to learn this, but Jimmy Butler was one of those people. His pre-fame
life doesn't come close to reflecting the star-studded career he was going
to have one day. But that makes it even more impressive that he managed to climb the ladder
in the way he did. This is the story of how Jimmy Butler went from homeless to NBA star.
Jimmy grew up in a small town on the outskirts of Houston, Texas. His early childhood wasn't so
remarkable until one day when his father suddenly abandoned them without any explanation. Still,
many kids have a perfectly happy childhood without a dad, thanks to a loving mom. But unfortunately,
that wasn't how it worked out for Jimmy. His mom wasn't much more caring than his father.
When he turned thirteen, his mom figured she didn't have to raise him anymore. Rumor has it
that Jimmy looked a little too much like his father, and his mom resented him for it. She
kicked Jimmy out of the house, saying, "I don't like the look of you. You gotta go."
Can you imagine your mom saying something so cruel to you?
Tell us in the comments what you think of that nasty line.
So now Jimmy was just 13 years old and totally on his own. He was relying on friends for help,
hopping from one house to another whenever their parents were generous
enough to help Jimmy. But he wasn't always lucky enough to get help.
On nights when he had nowhere to sleep, he would wander the streets on his own.
He was doing this all while attending high school. Lucky for him, that was one place he could still
go, and he knew there was an opportunity for him there if he could just grab it. At the time, he
was playing football. He wasn't bad at it either. But these were high school boys playing the game,
and his teammates all started having growth spurts. Jimmy, however, wasn't catching up. Soon,
he was the smallest guy on the team, at just 5 foot 3. He quickly started to feel that football
maybe wasn't the best idea if he didn't want to get crushed by his teammates. That, plus
the crazy Texas heat he always had to practice in, pushed him to make a life-changing decision.
He was going to move inside, to a court with air conditioning, and play a sport that wasn't quite
as dangerous as football. Suddenly, he was on the path to NBA stardom, and he didn't even know it.
Despite his talent, he was still on the streets, hopping from one friend's house to another. That
was his life right up until the summer before his senior year. By chance, Jimmy met a freshman named
Jordan Leslie. That name will ring a bell for a few of you - these days, Jordan is known for being
a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos. Meeting Jordan changed Jimmy's life for the better.
Jordan invited him to stay for a night. And then another night. And then a week.
And, pretty soon, Jimmy had been staying at Jordan's house for months.
I guess Jordan wasn't kidding when he said his mom wouldn't mind him coming over.
Jordan's mom, Michelle, accepted Jimmy with open arms and gave him a home.
You have to wonder how she did it - she already had 7 kids! That's a lot of mouths to feed,
but she didn't care. She wanted to give Jimmy the family he never had,
and that's exactly what she did. Suddenly, for the first time in his life, Jimmy was
surrounded by people who loved and supported him. I can only imagine what that felt like.
Meanwhile, Jimmy was dominating his basketball team. Of course,
even though he was playing brilliantly, a lot of his teammates were too.
Jimmy was scoring 35 points in some matches, but he was doubting himself.
He knew he could play at a high-school level, but he wasn't sure he could hack it
with the best of them. With at least one of his teammates already attracting university scouts,
Jimmy knew he had to up his game if he wanted to play basketball as a pro. So that's what he
did. Soon, he received a call from the assistant coach at Marquette University, Buzz Williams. He
told Jimmy that he had a spot at Marquette, and he didn't even need to visit it first.
Michelle was so proud, and she continued to support Jimmy, even when he went off to college
at Marquette University all the way in Wisconsin. That was the first time Jimmy had ever left Texas.
He started to feel homesick pretty quickly, but Michelle encouraged him to stay
and see it through, fully taking on the role of his new mom. And it's a really good thing she gave
him that advice because soon, Jimmy was one of the brightest stars in the University basketball team.
What's the best advice your mom ever gave you? Tell us in the comments!
Of course, Jimmy wasn't the only one on the team hoping to be spotted for NBA stardom.
Like in high school, there was already a player in his team who was firmly on the NBA's radar.
Jimmy wasn't sure he'd be able to stand out next to a star player like that.
But, he suddenly had another person in his life who cared about him
and wanted him to succeed - his coach Buzz. Buzz saw what a bright star Jimmy could become,
so he started working him harder than any of the other players. He was sometimes calling
Jimmy to begin practice as early as 5:30 am! Buzz had a plan to turn Jimmy into a star, but
he was pushing Jimmy so hard that he nearly quit basketball completely. Luckily, he saw it through.
His biggest rival at the university, Wesley Matthews, suddenly left to join the NBA,
leaving an open starting spot for Jimmy to fill. But, at the time, not one NBA team
was interested in Jimmy. That meant he had just one year to kick it up a notch
if he was going to achieve his dream. And surprisingly, it was Wesley, his rival,
who finally pushed him in the right direction. Wesley had come back to visit the university,
and he made sure to have a conversation with Jimmy while he was there. He convinced Jimmy that he had
what it takes to play in the NBA, and that was the final piece of self-belief that Jimmy needed.
Jimmy worked super hard, and, at the end of the 2011 season, Jimmy finally declared for the NBA
draft. And suddenly, it was now or never. If they didn't pick him, his career was over.
But, if they did pick him, he was on the road to stardom. With Michelle and his new
family watching, Jimmy sat for what felt like an eternity as they picked one player after another,
and his name wasn't called. It must have been a nail-biting experience, and I'll bet Jimmy lost
all hope by the time 29 names had been called, and none of them were his. But it wasn't over yet. The
Chicago Bulls had the last pick, and this time, it was Jimmy's name that was called. He'd done it!
Can you imagine how that felt? Tell us your proudest moment in the comments.
Over the years, he'd faced so many obstacles, and so many people had told him he'd never make it.
It's really easy to listen to those voices, especially when your own mom didn't care enough
about you to save you from being homeless. But Jimmy was tough, and he knew how to work for
his goals. All he needed was that extra pinch of magic that was given to him by Michelle and his
new family and his coach Buzz. They believed in him enough to make him believe in himself.
But even when Jimmy accomplished his dream of being an NBA player, he wasn't going to stop
working. He feels he can be an example to every kid who's got a tough home life or is growing
up without money and support. He wasn't just playing for himself anymore - he was playing
for everyone like him. Jimmy has said that he definitely doesn't want anyone to feel sorry for
him because he was abandoned. He says that he's grateful for the challenges he had to face, and he
feels they made him who he is today. So, instead of feeling sorry for Jimmy, it's probably better
to see his struggles as a source of inspiration. If he can overcome what he went through to become
an NBA star with an estimated $60 million net worth, just imagine what we can do.