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Bulls' Butler draws inspiration from talks with Michael Jordan

Sam Sharpe / USA TODAY Sports

With Derrick Rose ravaged by knee injuries and still struggling to rediscover the form that made him the NBA MVP in 2011, Jimmy Butler has stepped into the void to become the unlikely face of the Chicago Bulls.

The fifth-year shooting guard and former 30th overall draft pick has come up in the world, leading the Bulls in scoring last season en route to earning Most Improved Player honors, a spot on the All-Defensive second team, and his first All-Star berth.

His meteoric rise has come with its share of perks, one being a five-year, $94-million contract, and another being access to Bulls legend and consensus greatest player of all time Michael Jordan. Butler signed on to represent Jordan Brand in the spring, and later made an appearance at Jordan's basketball camp in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Butler said the two have developed a relationship, and that he's learned a few things from Jordan.

"We sat down at dinner over the summer and talked about a little bit of stuff," Butler told ESPN's Nick Friedell. "He's an awesome dude to just pick his brain, knowing how to win and being the best player at that point in time. And just the way that he changed the game, you can ask (him) how different the game was then and it helps, man. It really does."

Butler said the most important thing he learned was the preparation that goes into becoming a great player.

"The games are the easy part, man," he said. "You got to work every single day, put in extra work to make sure you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. Practice isn't enough, you got to get in early, you got to stay late. You got to come back at night. He'll let you know that because he did it, and look what it did."

If there's one thing Butler doesn't seem to need lessons on, it's the value of hard work. The 26-year-old was homeless for brief stints during adolescence, was pegged as a two-star recruit coming out of high school, played his first year of college ball at a junior college, and was a pick away from falling to the second round of the NBA draft.

But in Jordan, he has a benchmark to aspire to - however unrealistic.

"The one thing with Jimmy is, that's a great bar to have," said Bulls general manager John Paxson. "It's not about achieving it. It's about following that example that Michael gave."

Butler added, "If I can help do what he did for this organization, I've left my mark here. I've left my mark on this league. We got to start with right now and today and continue to string together wins, getting in the playoffs, and winning a championship."

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