Because of his incredible effort in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Jimmy Butler has been given the title of “greatest playoff underdog in NBA history.”

In the earlier part of this year, Jimmy Butler showed everyone once again why he is known as “Playoff Jimmy.” The 34-year-old NBA superstar guided the eighth-seeded Miami Heat to their second appearance in the NBA finals in the past four years by stunning the world with a series triumph against the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks. This victory inspired CBS Sports to name Butler “the greatest playoff underdog in NBA history.”

However, the six-time All-Star already has his sights set on other challenges. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he stated that once he finishes his career in basketball, he wants to pursue a career in country music. He already has a sufficient number of songs recorded to fill at least two albums. “There’s definitely going to be an album,” he added, in addition to just unveiling his new “emo” appearance. “There’s definitely going to be an album,” he said.

Read on to uncover other interesting facts about the man they call “Jimmy Buckets,” which you might not know about Butler before he becomes the next great thing in country music in the United States.

Butler had a challenging childhood

Jimmy Butler’s father abandoned his family when Butler was an infant, and his mother kicked him out of their house in Tomball, Texas, when he was 13. “I don’t like the look of you. You gotta go,” was what she told him, Butler said.

Butler stayed with various friends for weeks at a time after leaving his family home. Despite their rocky past, however, Butler said in 2015 that he remains close with both his parents. “I don’t hold grudges,” he said. “I still talk to my family.”

Mark Wahlberg is one of his friends

Mark Wahlberg and Jimmy Butler in Los Angeles in May 2015Getty Images

While playing for the Chicago Bulls in 2013, Butler met Mark Wahlberg while the actor was filming a Transformers movie in the Windy City. During a break from shooting, Wahlberg played a pickup basketball game at the Bulls practice facility and struck up a friendship with Butler. They have remained close ever since and have even vacationed in Paris together.

He was 2015’s Most Improved Player

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

Jimmy Butler was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2014-2015 NBA season. This award was given to Butler because he increased his points per game from 13.1 to 20, which was the 15th most in the league during that season. According to the statistics provided by the NBA, his increase of 6.9 points from one year to the next was the most of all players who had participated in at least 40 games in each of those two seasons.

According to the general manager of the Chicago Bulls, “He is incredibly driven, and it is great to see all of the work that he has put in pay off for him and for us,” The Most Improved Player Award was presented Jimmy Butler, making him the very first member of the Bulls to take home the honor.

He broke one of Michael Jordan’s records

Not surprisingly, Michael Jordan holds a great many franchise records for the Chicago Bulls, but Butler broke one of them on January 3, 2016, during a 115-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Butler scored 40 of his 42 points in the second half, breaking Jordan’s previous Bulls record for most points scored in a single half by one.

He’s a big Neymar fan

Butler developed an interest in soccer during the 2016 Summer Olympics and was there when Neymar led Brazil to a gold medal during those games. He has been a huge fan of the soccer star ever since, and the two became friends shortly thereafter. “Jimmy has a big heart,” Neymar told The New York Times. “Our friendship is based on sincerity and honesty. He is shy, and at the same time, his fun side is what makes him different.”

He’s also a country music fan

This information came from Tiktok and was imported. You could be able to discover the same stuff presented in a different way on their website, or you might be able to find more information there. Both of these possibilities are possible.Fans who follow Butler on social media are certainly well aware of his deep love and appreciation for country music. In the year 2020, he uploaded a video on TikTok in which he could be seen singing along to “She Got the Best of Me” by country musician Luke Combs. Two years later, in 2022, he uploaded an identical video to Instagram. In addition, he played the lead role in the music video for “Light it Up,” which is Luke Bryan’s smash hit tune that he wrote and performed.He had a historic NBA Finals performance

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

One year after joining the Miami Heat, Butler was instrumental in guiding the team to the NBA Finals in 2020, where they faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were able to take the series in six games, but Butler had a game-high performance in Game 3 with 40 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. This became him the only player in Finals history to post a 40-point triple-double, joining Jerry West in 1969 and LeBron James in 2015 as the only other two players to accomplish this feat.

Butler has his own coffee brand

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

Butler was disappointed with the coffee selections that were available to him when he was staying in the bio-secure NBA bubble in 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As a result, he began making his own coffee using speciality beans that he imported from El Salvador. Even more astonishing, he started charging each of the other NBA players $20 for a cup of it. This was the beginning of his own personal coffee brand, which he named Bigface, and he went on to create his own coffee firm not long after.

He matched another Michael Jordan record

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

During the Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Boston Celtics that took place during the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Butler performed exceptionally well. He had a game-high scoring performance of 41 points in Game 1, and a game-high scoring performance of 47 points in Game 6, becoming the only player in the same series since Michael Jordan in 1988 to have successive games with more than 40 points and four steals. Game 7 of the series was won by Boston, giving them the series victory.

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

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

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated from the 2023 NBA Playoffs in the first round by the Miami Heat, which surprised basketball fans all across the world. After scoring 56 points and 42 points, respectively, in the final two games of the series, Butler became the first Miami player in the history of the Hurricanes to ever record back-to-back 40-point games in the postseason. He did this by scoring 56 points and 42 points, respectively.

As a result of Butler’s performance in Game 5, he became the first player in Heat history to have eight postseason games with 40 points or more, breaking the record that Dwyane Wade had previously held.