Free agent guard Michael Carter-Williams, who last played for the Orlando Magic in the 2022-23 season, joined Thanasis Antetokounmpo's podcast, Thanalysis Show, and told a hysterical story about his lone season playing with the Chicago Bulls.
In the 2016-17 season, Carter-Williams played in 45 games for Chicago as the team went 41-41 and lost in six games to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. While the Bulls made the postseason that year, it was certainly a contentious season from the jump.
For starters, star player Jimmy Butler didn't get along with head coach Fred Hoiberg, and the tension started early in the year between the two, and vibes in the locker room were not good, according to Carter-Williams.
"The craziest season I've ever been a part of was Chicago," Carter-Williams began. "I love Jimmy [Butler]. Jimmy's a great dude, but this is crazy, bro. Our locker room was bad, bro. It was right in the beginning of the year, too. Everybody was pissed off, like upset. Like Jimmy wasn't getting along with Coach Hoiberg, so we had a team meeting early."
And here's where the story gets good.
"But last game, the refs were terrible," Carter-Williams continued. "Like Jimmy got a tech. Like somebody else got a tech. I think even Taj Gibson got a tech. Jimmy was upset, right, that Coach Hoiberg ain't get a tech. Coach Hoiberg is like, 'Jimmy, like, this starts with me and you, like, what's going on?' And then Jimmy goes, 'Well one, I think you're soft. Two, I don't like you...' And he didn't even get to three and Coach Hoiberg was like, 'Well then f--- you, Jimmy!' And Jimmy's like, 'Ah it's f--- me now? You wanted to know how I felt!' That's how the meeting started, bro. And I'm sitting over in the corner and I'm like yo I have never heard this in my entire life."
A Jimmy Butler story you just have to hear.... #Bulls @mcarterwilliams joins @Thanasis_ante43 on the latest episode of Thanalysis. #NBA
Full interview: https://t.co/za7LAtcxCp pic.twitter.com/fDT6F4ZaV5
Hoiberg is now coaching at the University of Nebraska, while Butler has played for Minnesota, Philadelphia and now, Miami over the last five seasons.
It may be water under the bridge now, but it's unlikely that Hoiberg and Butler will ever share the same locker room again.
And that's probably for the best.
MIKE MCDANIEL
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