“Please, I know you’re going to write something. I’m just asking you, don’t write it in a way that makes people feel sorry for me,” he said. “I hate that. There’s nothing to feel sorry about. I love what happened to me. It made me who I am. I’m grateful for the challenges I’ve faced. Please, don’t make them feel sorry for me.”

Butler’s mom left him stranded in the world at 13, he went to JuCo, and now, he’s in the NBA. Boo-ya!