Butler: Wade has 'more important things to worry about' than teammates' opinions

Jimmy Butler isn't too concerned over whether or not his former Chicago Bulls teammates "can't stand" Dwyane Wade, as a recent report suggests, and he doesn't think Wade ought to be concerned either.

"Hell, probably some of them can't stand or dont like me," Butler told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday. "That's fine. I'm still waking up fortunate and blessed every day, just like Dwyane is. He still has a fabulous family and a lot more important things to worry about than the opinions of others.

"But if they dislike him because the guy wants to win, well, then that team has some serious problems on the way."

The report, from ESPN's Nick Friedell, specifically cited the Bulls' younger players as having "had enough" of Wade, who's currently trying to negotiate a buyout with the team. The revelation wasn't especially surprising, given the tumultuous season the Bulls just endured, and the fact that Wade and Butler pointedly and publicly called out their younger teammates in January.

"This just can't be acceptable if you want to do anything besides have an NBA jersey on and make some money," Wade said, after an ugly fall-from-ahead loss. "That's all we're doing. Everyone don't care enough. You got to care enough, man. It's got to mean that much to you to want to win."

Butler, who echoed Wade's sentiments at the time, was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night two months ago, so this isn't really his problem anymore. And he doesn't feel he or Wade have anything to apologize for.

"I'm not a part of that organization anymore - I'm with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and I'm happy about that," he said. "But if I am speaking on that time ... I don't think there's nothing wrong with it.

"Not to bring up the past, but that's the way (Wade) felt. I said some things, too, and we talked about it, and we both said, 'Yo, I'm not taking back anything.' There's no reason for disliking a guy for speaking the truth."