In the NBA, clashes between players and coaches are nothing new, and history is littered with infamous examples. From Allen Iverson’s public critiques of Larry Brown to Shaquille O’Neal’s rift with Stan Van Gundy, internal tensions can define a team’s fate. The Chicago Bulls, during the short-lived tenure of Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler, added another chapter to this saga, as revealed by an ex-teammate on a recent show.

Michael Carter Williams, who was a part of the roster when Wade and Buttler were playing for the Bulls, shed light on the internal discord during his recent interview on Run it Back TV. He recalled how Butler’s direct and often unfiltered demeanor rubbed not only his teammates but also the coaching staff the wrong way.

“We went back in the locker room. Next day we had a team meeting and so people were just upset with coach Hoiberg because he wasn’t out there on the refs. You know having the guys’ backs, like, you are supposed to. So the next day we have a team meeting and coach Hoiberg is like, ‘Jimmy, what’s going on?’ Jimmy was like kind of shook his head and he was like, ‘No tell me.’ Jimmy looked at him and he was like, ‘Well for one, I think you’re soft, two’, he didn’t even get to two, coach Hoiberg was like ‘F–k you, Jimmy,’” said Williams during the show.

Williams spoke here about the game that would go on to become one of the most notable displays of frustration during the Bulls’ tumultuous 2016–17 season, a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler got techs in a dustup with the refs on the two crucial plays.

Butler was also strong on the numbers: 22 points and 6 rebounds, but the Bulls lost the game 102 to 95. The team couldn’t harness their motivation in a constructive way, though, and Taj Gibson was able to score 11 points and grab 4 rebounds. Despite Wade scoring 28 points, he had clearly shown elite performance, but yet missed a three pointer with 13.9 seconds left.

After a sensational run with the Miami Heat, hopes were high in 2016 when Wade joined the Bulls. A veteran leader and scorer during his lone season in Chicago, Wade averaged 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists as the 3x NBA champion brought experienced leadership and scoring. The season also proved to be one of Butler’s best stat-wise, as he averaged 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists.

“It was rocky, it was real rocky in the beginning. I just felt like they were just trying to figure out, you know their place. I will say toward when we got to the playoffs, I feel like they all took a step back and were able to sacrifice something, so that they could all play a role and they ended up figuring that out. But in the beginning it was tough. A lot of different personalities in there. Jimmy and D-wade kind of similar personalities in a way, Rondo’s a little different. It took them a little while to it out,” added Williams during the show.

This season of the Bulls serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of mutual respect in professional sports. Despite having two All-Stars in Wade and Butler, internal strife derailed their potential. However, just like Williams has shared an anecdote regarding a player, there was another time when another Bulls teammate shared an insight about him.

Dwyane Wade praised Michael Carter-Williams

Williams joined the Chicago Bulls in the 2016-17 season after a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks and the Rookie of the Year was expected to play well alongside Bulls team led by stars such as Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. While his time with Chicago was brief, Carter-Williams caught some praise from Wade.

During an interview, Wade was asked to say a few things about his new teammate, Michael Carter-Williams. The 3x NBA champion didn’t spare a moment in doing so. “He’s a taller (Rajon) Rondo, a guy who has played in the paint and has been an attacker and guards…The kid can play,” said Wade.

Carter-Williams averaged 6.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over 45 games with the Bulls, often serving as a role player to provide defensive energy and ball-handling.

He also has been a versatile guard in his NBA career, gifted with a touch for defense and assist. Carter-Williams didn’t let injuries or changing roles get in the way— he has used it as an opportunity to carve out his own résumé as a player who would do whatever his team needed.