Caron Butler

Miami would rely on Butler immediately despite being a rookie, and he would start in all 78 games he played in during the season, averaging 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and finished 8th in the league in steals with 1.8 per game.

Despite Miami winning just 25 games and missing the playoffs, Butler proved to be a notable rookie, winning the rookie of the month awards four times during the season while also getting selected to play in the rookie challenge game at that year's All-Star weekend in Atlanta.

By season's end, Butler would also be named to the first team on the NBA All-Rookie Team.

Miami would again enter the draft lottery, and this time drafted Dwyane Wade before acquiring Lamar Odom from the Los Angeles Clippers.

James Caron Butler (born March 13, 1980) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

During a 14-year career he played for the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, and Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Butler played in Amateur Athletic Union basketball in 1998 and 1999.

After a brief career at Racine Park High School, he enrolled at Maine Central Institute where he was successful enough to receive a scholarship to attend the University of Connecticut to play for the Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team for coach Jim Calhoun for two years.

At Connecticut, Butler lost 15 lbs off his frame and developed his perimeter game.

As a freshman, Butler led the Huskies, only two years removed from a national championship, in both scoring and rebounding with 15.3 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game respectively.

The summer after his freshman season he started for the US team that took home gold in the 2001 FIBA World Championship for Young Men.

Butler followed his spectacular freshman campaign with an even better sophomore season, averaging 20.3 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game, leading the Huskies to both regular season and tournament Big East titles, and was named Big East tournament MVP.

He was named co-Big East player of the year (along with Pittsburgh's Brandin Knight) and a second-team All-American.

Butler led the Huskies to the Elite 8 of the NCAA basketball tournament.

Despite 32 points from Butler, the Huskies lost a close game to the eventual national champion Maryland Terrapins.

After the season ended, Butler declared for the NBA draft.

Butler is a two-time NBA All-Star and was the 2002 Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year, while playing for the Connecticut Huskies.

Butler was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, where he suffered through a rough childhood; he was a drug dealer at age 12 and arrested 15 times before the age of 15.

Butler discovered his love for basketball while at a youth detention center.

Butler was a lottery pick in the 2002 NBA draft, selected with the 10th overall pick by the rebuilding Miami Heat.

In the 2003–2004 season, however, Butler struggled with injuries that hampered him throughout the season, and he would go on to start in just 56 of 68 games.

His scoring average fell to 9.2 points game for the season, but Miami's balanced offense led by Wade, Odom and Eddie Jones propelled Miami into the playoffs.

In the first round, the Heat faced the New Orleans Hornets and the two teams would battle in a grueling 7 games series in which the home team won every game.

In game 7, Miami closed out the series with Butler scoring 23 points with 9 rebounds.

The Heat advanced to the play the top seeded Indiana Pacers, who were heavily favored and won the first two games of the series before Miami responded with two home wins to tie the series at 2 games apiece.

Butler scored 21 points with 10 rebounds in the fourth game, but the Pacers responded to win the series in 6 games.

Following the season, Miami decided to change the roster and traded Butler, Odom and Brian Grant to the Los Angeles Lakers for superstar center Shaquille O'Neal.

The Lakers had been a title contender but were now in rebuilding mode, led by superstar guard Kobe Bryant.

Butler started in all of his 77 games in the 2004–2005 season, averaging 15.5 points a game with a then career high field goal percentage of 44.5% percent.

The Lakers struggled with injuries and a midseason coaching change however, and failed to make the playoffs.

Once again, the offseason meant Butler would be shipped again, as the Lakers traded him and Chucky Atkins to the Washington Wizards for Kwame Brown and Laron Profit.

Upon arriving in Washington, Butler signed a 5-year, $46 million deal with the team.

He became part of Washington's new "Big 3", a trio made up of teammates Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison.

Butler was nicknamed "Tough Juice" by coach Eddie Jordan for his aggressive and passionate play, epitomized by Butler's 20 rebounds in the Game 6 loss of opening-round series against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On January 17, 2007, Butler converted his first game-winning basket, a dunk following a pass from DeShawn Stevenson with 2.2 seconds remaining against the Knicks to give the Wizards a 99–98 win.

Butler was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for January 15–21, 2007.

He would have his best season yet, posting career high averages in rebounds, assists, and points.

He was also named as a reserve to the 2007 NBA Eastern Conference All-Star team, his first appearance.

However, he broke his hand late in the season attempting to block a shot and was forced to sit out during the playoffs along with the injured Gilbert Arenas as the Wizards were swept in their opening round rematch versus the Cavaliers.

Butler, who was sidelined with a hip injury, was selected as a reserve for the East in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans, Louisiana but was forced to sit out.