Butler's unlikely path to NBA stardom

— -- PORTLAND, Ore. -- Jimmy Butler isn't supposed to be here.

He's not supposed to be in the NBA. He's not supposed to be a key member of a Chicago Bulls team that has championship aspirations. He's not supposed to be in the midst of an All-Star type season -- the best of his career -- in which he has carried the Bulls on both ends of the floor at various times. And he's certainly not supposed to be on the verge of cashing in on a contract offer at season's end that will likely pay him well over $50 million over the next four seasons.

The odds have always been against Butler. His path to the NBA is as unlikely as anyone who plays in the league given that his backstory (of being homeless at 13 before moving in with a friend's family) reads like the basketball version of "The Blind Side." No matter how many ups and downs Butler endured in his journey to the precipice of NBA stardom, the 25-year-old never stopped believing in himself. The same drive that helped get him out of Tomball, Texas, and into Marquette University is the same fuel that's pushed him to average over 20 points a game early this season.

No matter how high Butler's stardom grows it doesn't appear that he will ever lose the gigantic chip that resides on his shoulder. Like many great athletes, Butler is driven, in large part, by the opportunity to prove people wrong. He likes when the odds are high because that's the way it's been for him all his life. He doesn't know any differently. So after failing to come to a contract extension with the Bulls before the Oct. 31 deadline, Butler did what he has always done. He didn't pout about his situation, he just continued to work. He continued to try to get better. It's that attitude that has helped him become one of the breakthrough players of the young season.

"I feel like I've never been the best player," Butler said. "I've never been highly recruited, so I've always had all the chips stacked up against me and I've always found a way to make things happen. [The contract talk] is just another obstacle, another hurdle. But I think I'm in the right direction and if I keep my eye on the prize I think I'll end up successful."