Rasual Butler still going strong at 35
WASHINGTON - In his 12th season, Rasual Butler hasn't allowed retirement to cross his mind. The Washington Wizards forward played in his 726th career game Monday in a 111-76 victory over his hometown 76ers. Butler, 35, had eight points on 3-for-7 shooting to go with two rebounds and two assists off the bench.
WASHINGTON - In his 12th season, Rasual Butler hasn't allowed retirement to cross his mind.
The Washington Wizards forward played in his 726th career game Monday in a 111-76 victory over his hometown 76ers. Butler, 35, had eight points on 3-for-7 shooting to go with two rebounds and two assists off the bench.
Butler said he'll keep playing "as long as I can run and jump, defend and hit shots. I still have a love for the game to this day. I still get butterflies before the game. That's a real good indication that it's time to keep it going."
Butler is shooting a team-best 46.5 percent on three-pointers and averaging 8.8 points. The former La Salle standout has scored a season-high 23 points on three occasions. Not bad for someone who was in the NBA Development League two seasons ago.
The 6-foot-7, 217-pounder said the D-League experience helped to continue his career.
"I was able to play basketball and stay in shape and be counted on to do some other things that would be necessary to do at this level," he said, "and gave me the comfort to be able to do it now."
Butler is one of the veteran leaders on his seventh NBA team. He signed with the Wizards in the offseason after spending last season with the Indiana Pacers.
"He's great," point guard John Wall said. "He's given us another veteran-presence guy that can knock down shots and just knows the game. He came into training camp with a mind-set that he knows what it takes to make a team and not trying to force and press the issue to make a team."
Another blueprint
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are two of the franchises the Sixers are trying to model themselves after. Sixers coach Brett Brown said the Wizards are another one.
"I look at the [Wizards] and project out what I hope our team can be in a few years," he said. "Michael [Carter-Williams] struggled tonight. Was that [similar to] a young John Wall? Rewind time and maybe."
"They are an unselfish team," Nerlens Noel added. "They care about each other more than they do themselves."
Grant shows range
This was a solid homecoming for Jerami Grant.
The Sixers rookie made a career-best three three-pointers on six attempts and finished with 12 points. Grant was a standout at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md.
"I thought Jerami did a great job of showing his growth by moving out to the perimeter," Brown said.
The 6-8, 210-pounder is 10 for 19 from three-point range over the last seven games. He made 3 of 18 in his first 19 games.