Fashionista Jimmy Butler on the NBA All-Star Game: 'I want to play'

Jimmy Butler's multi-patterned shirt defied description, other than that it featured a giant king of spades.It was designed by Stella McCartney, and it fetches $810. So although Butler still describes himself as "the kid from Tomball, Texas," there's...

Fashionista Jimmy Butler on the NBA All-Star Game: 'I want to play'

Jimmy Butler's multi-patterned shirt defied description, other than that it featured a giant king of spades.

It was designed by Stella McCartney, and it fetches $810.

So although Butler still describes himself as "the kid from Tomball, Texas," there's no mistaking that he's now a three-time NBA All-Star in the midst of a $92.3 million contract with the Bulls.

"But I'm still me," he said. "Some people don't like it; some people don't think so. Oh well."

Butler touched on several topics during his 23-minute media session Friday, namely:

The Marcus Smart foul call that allowed Butler to hit the game-winning free throws Thursday against the Celtics: "A foul's a foul. Everybody keeps asking me about the call. If I hit you on your elbow when you're taking a jump shot and you miss it, you're gonna be hot. It was a foul. You can't knock that it was a foul. Was it a ticky-tack foul? Yes. But I would have made it if you don't hit my elbow, I believe. … I don't get superstar calls. When I get fouled, I get fouled."

Talk among the players regarding the Feb. 23 trade deadline: "Not really. Ain't nothing that they can do about it or I can do about. Why talk about it? Why worry about it? If you're here, you're here. If you're not, you're not."

On starting his first All-Star Game after playing nine minutes in 2015 and missing last year's game with a knee injury: "I want to play. Damn, all the hard work … this is how you get rewarded. I want to compete against the best even though it's a different type of game … I know the gist. Don't go out there trying to guard people 94 feet."

tgreenstein@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @TeddyGreenstein

Photos of Bulls guard/forward Jimmy Butler.

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