Dwyane Wade predicts Hall of Fame for Heat star

Wade and Butler were teammates for one season on the 2016-17 Chicago Bulls, after Wade played for the Heat for 13 seasons. The two went 41-41 for a transitional Bulls team that said goodbye to franchise mainstays Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson that year. By the next year, Wade and Butler were gone too.

Butler eventually found his way to Miami the summer after Wade retired in 2019. And while Wade is a huge Butler fan now, he originally didn't think much of him.

"I didn't really think nothing of Jimmy like that," said Wade, who would scrimmage with Marquette players during the summer. Even when the Bulls drafted Butler with the No. 30 pick in 2011, Wade "didn't think he was going to be that good."

Even when Butler made it to the NBA, he and Wade never talked, mainly due to coach Tom Thibodeau, who didn't like the Miami Heat and forbade his players from fraternizing with them.

"We were taught to hate y'all and hate everything about the Miami Heat," Butler told Wade. "And I see why. Y'all used to beat our a-s on a regular basis."

Wade wasn't alone in doubting Butler. Twenty-nine players were drafted ahead of him. Chicago gave up on him and traded him in 2017. Philadelphia chose Ben Simmons over Butler in 2019, trading him for Josh Richardson and salary-cap space.

But since coming to Miami, Butler has led the Heat to the NBA Finals twice, and came inches away from making it in 2022 as well.

Before Miami, Butler was a four-time All-Star and won Most Improved Player in 2015, but he would have been considered a long shot to make the Hall of Fame. Now, his postseason dominance and the emergence of "Playoff Jimmy," Butler almost seems like a lock for the Hall. Dropping 56 points in a playoff game and dragging a No. 8 seed to the Finals will do wonders for your reputation.

But Butler doesn't seem concerned about the Hall of Fame, or nicknames.

Butler should join Wade in the Hall in the future. Until then, he just be hooping.