
One of the most underrated players in the NBA is Washington Wizards forward Caron Butler. Nicknamed “Tough Juice,” Butler finds himself in an elite class of players who averaged 20 points, six rebounds and four assists last season, sharing that accomplishment with LeBron James.
With a healthy Gilbert Arenas and new head coach Flip Saunders, the Wizards are looking to return to the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
BET.com chatted with Butler as his team was getting ready for the season opener on Oct. 27 against Dallas.
On how the preseason is going:
Preseason is going pretty well. It’s going smoother than I thought. I know Flip Saunders is an offensive guy and I know he has a huge playbook. I thought the offense was going to be kind of hard to adapt to but we have been running smoothly.
On the biggest difference between new head coach Flip Saunders and ex-coach Eddie Jordan:
I don’t see a huge difference from a personality stand point because they are both guys who are great coaches and they reach out to their players and try to influence them to get the best out of them. I have only been under Coach Saunders for the last month. With Eddie, I had him for four years, so that will be a question I will have to answer later in the year.
On how the team’s new iTouch’s are treating the team:
(Laughs) They are treating me good. It’s something new … getting an iTouch. I’m actually looking at it right now and seeing all the plays that are in it. It’s unbelievable. They actually have a visual; he got all the assistant coaches along with himself running through the plays and giving you an idea on where you’re suppose to be at and what the formation is. I thought it was a great idea.
On coming to his own as a player on the court:
Yeah, definitely. I feel I have on-and-off the court. You got the notoriety and the fan’s respect, coaches and all those guys you go against. I really do feel like I established that respect and hopefully I can take it to new heights this season.
On ranking No. 28 on Slam’s Top 50 list, ahead of teammates Gilbert Arenas (No. 34) and Antawn Jamison (No. 37):
(Laughs) I like that.
On having Gilbert Arenas back in the locker room:
It’s been fun. Seeing Gilbert back and seeing him interacting with everyone and having a good time and seeing him healthy. As a teammate, I’m just happy to see him like that.
On which player would surprise fans the most in terms of what they are like off the court between Dwyane Wade, Gilbert Arenas and Kobe Bryant:
You see a lot of Dwayne’s personality and Gilbert’s personality through blogs and commercials but I would say the guy that would surprise you the most is Kobe. He’s just an ordinary guy, a real cool, down-to-earth person and someone I can truly call my friend. Someone that reaches out and calls me back and texts me. That’s like a big brother to me. I don’t think a lot of people see that side because he’s such a killer on the court.
He used to be more standoffish but I think he’s opening up a little bit more and letting people in a little bit. You just have to realize what point he’s at in his career. He’s iconic, the closest thing we have had to Michael [Jordan] in a long time. Who can blame him for being like that?
On if he thinks about if he wasn’t traded for Kwame Brown and Laron Profit?
I have in the past and once I started having a lot of success in Washington and stuff like that, I got over it. I know Washington is the place for me and I look forward to doing what they’re doing in LA someday in Washington.
On how long he has been chewing straws:
I can’t even remember. It was so long ago, pretty much my whole life I have been chewing on something.
On his Top 5 restaurant straws:
1. McDonald’s
2. Starbucks
3. AMC movie theaters
4. 7-11 Slurpee straws
5. Subway
On how much DeShawn Stevenson would have to pay him in order to get a tattoo of a straw on his face:
(Laughs) It’s not happening. I can’t do it. I would probably get Obama on my neck like he has Abraham Lincoln.
On his childhood:
Growing up in Racine, Wisconsin, I went through a lot in my childhood. At around 12 or 13, I started having a lot of run-ins with the law. I was arrested between 14 and 15 times before I ended up at Ethan Allen Correctional facility for possession of firearm and an ounce of crack cocaine. I ended up doing 13 months total there and four months in the county, so 17 months incarcerated. During that time I changed my life. I was tired of being incarcerated and didn’t want to continue to repeat that cycle. Once I got out , I started playing basketball and I got involved with AAU, traveled the world and was exposed to a whole other life. That’s when I started hooping. I went to prep school for two years and then I went to UCONN for two years and finally made it to the NBA.