Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol spent just two seasons playing together for the Chicago Bulls. However, it was enough to forge a deep, lifelong bond that continued despite their diverging paths. On Tuesday night at the Crypto.com Arena, Gasol's jersey was retired, and Butler—who now plays for the Miami Heat—flew across the country to attend the special ceremony honoring the Spaniard.
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It was a long journey for Butler, who played against the Atlanta Hawks in Miami on Monday before going to Los Angeles the following day. He then had to return to Miami as they had a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Still, it was well worth the trip for Gasol's special moment.
"What's this guy's name? Pau?" Butler said. "I'm here because of Pau, obviously. Congrats to my brother Pau. I love you man. Much deserved, Hall of Fame coming soon. We all know it. Appreciate you for having me my brother."
Spent two seasons together
After a long tenure with the Lakers, Gasol signed with the Bulls in 2014, where he joined Butler to form a potent inside-out duo. Their first season together was a huge success. Butler and Gasol posted impressive numbers and were named to the All-Star team as they helped the Bulls finish with a 50-32 record, good for second in the Central Division. They made it all the way to the Eastern Conference semis but were ousted by the eventual Eastern Conference champions, Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 2016 season, though, was less than stellar as the Bulls just could not get anything going and finished outside of the playoffs with a 42-40 card. In the summer of 2017, Gasol moved on from Chicago as he signed with the San Antonio Spurs. Despite this, Butler and Gasol have remained close friends off-court and continue to speak highly of each other whenever the opportunity arises.
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