CHICAGO -- Jimmy Butler wore a big smile on his face throughout most of Friday.The two-time All-Star beamed as future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade held his introductory news conference with the Chicago Bulls earlier in the day and made it abundantly clear that he was joining Butlers team. A few hours later, Butler would get a big ovation as the first player introduced for U.S. mens basketball team in its 80-45 rout over Venezuela. The fact that the 26-year-old shot only 2-for-8 from the field and scored only four points wasnt a big deal in the grand scheme. The fact that Butler, who was the 30th pick in the 2011 draft, was playing on the Olympic team in his adopted hometown and will soon go to Rio to represent his country, is still almost too good to be true for the Bulls star.Growing up I never thought that I would get drafted in the NBA, Butler said. Be a starter for the Bulls. Let alone represent my country with some of the best players in the world. It means the world to me and I want to win. I dont want to say that I was a part of the USA team. I want to say that I was a part of the USA team and we won gold.Several times during his teams brief stay in his hometown of Chicago, U.S. mens basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski has been open about the fact that he didnt realize Butler had become this good of a player. Krzyzewski said he hadnt seen Butler actually play live in several years, but once he did recently he saw the development in his game that has made him such an integral part of what the Bulls do in the future and Team USA does in the short term.Obviously hes one of the best players in the NBA, Krzyzewski said. But hes easy to play with and hes extremely versatile. I had not seen him in person for a long time so Im amazed at how much athletic ability and versatility [he has]. He can guard 1-5 and thats a huge plus for our team.U.S. mens basketball assistant Jim Boeheim had a more colorful take as to how Butler has ascended to so high in the basketball world.Hes a great testament to the bulls--- the NBA has, Boeheim told ESPN.com. [In that] you got to be good right away, or a freshman in college. He wasnt even good when we played him until his senior year I think. And hes gotten better and better every year which is what guys do. And if you get a chance -- you get him or Draymond Green, they become the best players in the game. Give them a chance. Theres other guys like that that never get a chance. He just keeps getting better, he brings so much energy to the court, hes so physical, he can go get the ball. ... Jimmys been great, hes great, I just appreciate -- I remember playing against him and seeing him develop in college. And then to see his development now, its a great story.Butlers unlikely path to the NBA has been well-documented and its what has helped draw some of his U.S. teammates even closer to him as they push closer to the Rio Games.Im a huge fan of Jimmys, U.S. point guard Kyrie Irving said. Watching what he did for Chicago, really putting the team on his back, really propelled him into being a great NBA player now. And the story behind him, too, I mean you have no choice but to respect it. So what hes come from, what hes endured, his adversity and hes just an even better person so I just enjoy being around him.Team USA stalwart Carmelo Anthony echoed those sentiments. Butler has built a name brand for himself in Chicago as one of the best two-way players in the league, but now he has to be a defensive force off the bench for a stacked American group that is intent on defending its basketball crown.Im not surprised, Anthony said of Butlers development. He works hard, man. Jimmys a workaholic. Hes in the gym all the time. Hes working; working on his game, working on his body. Hes getting the reps in the game, now hes one of the premier guys on the Chicago Bulls, a go-to guy on that team. With his confidence and his work ethic its going to continue to grow.Butler is admittedly still trying to grow into his role as the leader of the Bulls, but on the U.S. mens basketball team hes just another guy trying to fit into a group overflowing with basketball riches. Its another chapter in what is one of the most interesting basketball stories ever known.I just want to win, Butler said. In a Chicago Bulls uniform, in a USA uniform, thats what Ive always been about. All the individual stuff never really mattered. This is like home for me now, Im glad that I got to play here for USA in front of my hometown crowd. Theyve embraced since day one, I hope they continue to do so. 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Cardinals Jerseys 2020 . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence.Rory McIlroy is confident he can turn his season around by claiming a third U.S. PGA Championship title in the space of five years.McIlroy won the Irish Open in May and has recorded eight other top-10 finishes in strokeplay events in 2016, but failed to add to his tally of four major titles in the Masters, U.S. Open and the Open.The 28-year-old opted for neutral when asked to describe his 2016 campaign in one word, but feels he can find top gear once more at Baltusrol, especially after Mondays thunderstorm recalled the soft conditions which prevailed for his breakthrough U.S. Open victory at Congressional in 2011.Its a fair golf course, everything is straight out in front of you, said McIlroy, who won the U.S. PGA in 2012 and 2014 and has recorded three other top-eight finishes in his seven appearances.Theres no real hidden secrets to it and I feel thats what really lets me excel. I feel like I can play my game in PGA Championships. I can hit driver off the tee most times and from there, if I drive it well, I feel like I have a big advantage.Theres been times [this year] where I got a little bit of momentum and then sort of got set back a little bit. Its sort of been a little stop-start in a way. Im trying to stay as positive as I can. I feel like I am positive because my game is in good shape, but I guess Im just maybe running out of patience a little bit in trying to make it happen.As for a grade, Id say like a B- maybe. I could change that into an A+ on Sunday. Theres a lot of golf left, last major of the year, and I want to give it my all to get in the mix and try to win another one of these things before I have to wait another eight months to try to get another opportunity at Augusta next year.If McIlroy does not lift the enormous Wanamaker Trophy again on Sunday it will mean going two full years without a major title, the world No.4 having won the Open and U.S. PGA in 2014, with a first World Golf Championship title sandwiched in between for good measure.Since then thhe likes of Jordan Spieth, Zach Johnson, Jason Day, Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson have demonstrated the strength in depth of world golf by winning majors, but McIlroy believes he should still expect to be winning one a year himself.ddddddddddddId love to sit here and say Im going to win a major every year, he added. I could retire at 40 and be very happy.I think it is realistic, I really do. Weve seen in the past that is achievable. Thats the benchmark. Its hard but I guess from 2011-14 I averaged a major a year.Theres no reason to think that I cant do that for the foreseeable future. I have to play my best golf and sometimes its hard to come up with your best golf each and every week. I definitely think its attainable.McIlroy has finished third and fifth in his two events since missing the cut in the U.S. Open and admits he was motivated by being left trailing an amazing 16 shots behind Open champion Stenson at Royal Troon.I think any time you walk away from a big tournament and you havent lifted a trophy, its going to motivate you, McIlroy added.How can you not be motivated by watching that golf on the Sunday of the Open Championship with Phil [Mickelson] and Henrik? Just going blow for blow down the stretch, that can only give you motivation and get the juices flowing.You see guys and sometimes you think that should be me and it gives you a bit of a kick in the ass to get out there and go practice.McIlroy also has added motivation to get into contention and earn a late tee time for Sundays final round, revealing he has tickets to watch fellow Northern Irishman Carl Framptons world title boxing fight on Saturday.If everything goes to plan I will be able to get to the Barclays Centre [in nearby New York] to cheer him on, McIlroy added. Ive never been to one of his fights before so hopefully Ill have a late tee time on Sunday. ' ' '