Jimmy Butler was determined to beat the Miami Heat when he got drafted by the Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls drafted a true warrior in Jimmy Butler.

© Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Jimmy Butler that the spotlight has been focused on throughout these NBA Playoffs may not be the same player as the one who the Chicago Bulls selected 30th overall during the 2011 NBA Draft. He's the talk of the league now, and is able to withstand the physical rigors that come with being a legitimate NBA superstar. He's a lot craftier, too, able to manufacture points in ways that the Bulls were unaware of when they originally drafted him. However, deep down, the heart of Jimmy Butler remains the same. He's still a fiercely competitive player, and he had his eyes set on beating the Miami Heat when he joined the Bulls in 2011.

Had his eyes on the Miami Heat

Back then, the Bulls—led by Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah—were in the midst of their rivalry against the big, bad boys of the Miami Heat, which of course, had the "Big 3" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. When Chicago selected Butler, who had a stellar career at Marquette, the Bulls had just come off a 4-1 loss to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In his first conversation with Chicago's decision-makers, Butler wasted no time endearing himself to the franchise, when he immediately declared an open war against LeBron, Wade, and the Heat.

"I'm going to put in that work to be able to guard LeBron (James), Dwyane Wade and all those guys so the Bulls can get to that championship," Butler reportedly said.

No doubts about who he is

Butler also didn't hesitate to express what he'd do whenever he'd get an opportunity to be on the floor, saying he'll irritate foes and make them work for every inch of space on the court.

"I'm going to be a pest," he said. "Take up everybody's space and make them work for every little thing. I think that's where everything is going to go for me."

That mentality paid off for Butler, who has since gone on to have a stellar career. Now the undisputed heart and soul of the—ironically—Miami Heat, Butler has established himself as one of the premier two-way players in the game today.