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MINNEAPOLIS – Unhappy guard Jimmy Butler was booed when he was introduced and sometimes when he touched the ball during the Minnesota Timberwolves home opener on Friday night.
The atmosphere was generally unpleasant at the Target Center, as the crowd also highly booed coach and team chairman Tom Thibodeau during the presentations and the visit to Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, who had asked for the exchange of Minnesota four years ago.
Butler, who requested an exchange with Wolves last month, also refused to recognize or shake hands with team owner Glen Taylor. At his usual seat at the end of the team bench, Taylor shook hands with several players, but Butler approached him.
Butler had a goal and then a basket early in the game, which prompted a positive response from the public. At one point, he even received songs "MVP, MVP" on the line of free throws.
But he made it clear earlier this week that he did not care about the fans' reaction to him.
"Boo me," Butler said. "It's not going to change the way I play, it's probably going to make me smile, please, come with that."
His Wolf teammates were left in a delicate position for weeks, and that continued on Friday. Butler barely practiced with the team before the start of the season.
"Jimmy is on record," teammate Tyus Jones said of the boos. "He's busy with his stuff when he's in the field, Boos, cheers, whatever."
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