Insider Blames Mark Wahlberg For Jimmy Butler's Strange Behavior

The Jimmy Butler saga has been one of the more entertaining subplots of the NBA's offseason.

It started when the Timberwolves swingman demanded a trade out of Minnesota, where he may have slept with his teammate Karl Anthony Towns's girl.

That hasn't happened yet, and yesterday Butler practiced with the team for the first time since last season. During the workout, he screamed aggressively at coach Tom Thibodeau, Andrew Wiggins, and Towns, and loudly told GM Scott Layden  “You fucking need me. You can’t win without me!”

All-Star Jimmy Butler participated in Minnesota's practice, a session that included him verbally challenging teammates, coaches and front office, league sources told ESPN. Butler was vociferous and emotional at times, targeting Thibodeau/Layden/Towns/Wiggins. Story soon on ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 10, 2018

When asked about his strange behavior, Butler confirmed it happened.

According to an anonymous insider from Chicago, where Bulter played from 2011-2017, Butler started to change when he met Mark Wahlberg -- who was filming Transformers in the city in 2013 -- and became friends with the star.

"There was insight sought from a Chicago media person who had watched Butler from the start of his career. The suggestion was that Jimmy came into the league driven by his underdog status, and that changed a few years later when he started hanging out with Wahlberg and seeing himself as a star."

"The feeling in Chicago was that Butler’s game stopped growing three, four years ago, as his head grew ever larger."