Caron Butler is a retired American professional basketball player who is currently the assistant coach for the Miami Heat of the NBA.
He started his NBA journey when the Miami Heat selected him first round with the 10th overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft.
Previously, before playing professionally, he played college basketball for the UConn Huskies. While there, he worked hard on his basketball skills and became one of the top young prospects for the draft in 2002.
The small forward spent around a decade and a half playing for different clubs in the NBA.
As a result, he won many awards and accolades in his professional career, including the championship ring in 2011.
However, the NBA veteran ultimately took a break from professional basketball in 2018. Eventually, he started coaching one of his former NBA teams, the Miami Heat.
Let’s explore the retiree’s early life, his career in different basketball areas, his personal life, and much more.
But before moving into the details, here are some quick facts about Caron Butler.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | James Caron Butler |
| Known As | Caron Butler |
| Date of Birth | March 13, 1980 |
| Birth Place | Racine, Wisconsin, USA |
| Nick Name | Tuff Juice |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Age | 44 Years Old |
| Height | 6 feet 7 inches/2.01 m/201 cm |
| Weight | 228 lb/103 kg |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Dark brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Melvin (Step-father) |
| Mother’s Name | Mattie Claybrook Paden |
| Siblings | A half brother |
| Siblings’ Name | Melvin III |
| Education |
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| Marital Status | Married |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Wife’s Name | Andrea Pink Butler |
| Kids | Five |
| Kid’s Name | Ava, Mia, Caron Jr., Camary, and Gia Butler |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| Profession | Professional Basketball Player |
| NBA Draft | 2002 |
| Position | Small forward/shooting guard |
| League | National Basketball Association (NBA) |
| Active Years | 2002–Present |
| Net Worth | $26 Million |
| Currently Coaches For | Miami Heat |
| Jersey Numbers | 4, 1, 5, 3, 2, 31 |
| Career Highlights & Awards |
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| Social Media | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Signed Basketball, Signed Card |
| Last Update | October 2024 |
Early Life, Family & Career
James Caron Butler was born on March 13, 1980, in Racine, Wisconsin. He is the eldest child of Mattie Claybrook Paden.
However, the player says that his father left their family just after he was born and went to work for the Marines.
Caron grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, and had a tough childhood. His mother raised him and his half-brother, Melvin III as a single mother. She worked two different jobs to feed her children.
Even though they were in a miserable situation, his mother admitted him to Washington Park High School.
However, he could not focus on his studies as the financial difficulty of his home had a deep impression on him.
Consequently, he started engaging in illegal activities at a very young age. He had already become an infamous drug dealer at age 15.
Butler was arrested from his high school for possessing a gun and a packet of cocaine at age 14.
He did not go to school for many years and spent much time in juvenile detention centers. In one of these detention centers, he became aware of his basketball abilities.
Hence, Caron began playing the sport with other boys there and showed his caliber.
As he spent time away from his mother, he began to feel sorry for her. After getting released from the juvenile center, he joined the Park School again.
He began playing inter-school tournaments and showed much promise. Eventually, Butler left his old ways and came to his senses. As a result, he did good both in studies as well as sports.
After high school, he joined the University of Connecticut and, much later, Duke University for his further studies.
Age, Weight & Height
As of 2024, the former NBA champion is 44 years old. He celebrates his birthday every March 13.
Talking about his body measurements, he stands 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) tall and weighs around 228 lb (103 kg).
In addition, he has black-colored hair and dark brown eyes.
Career
High School Career
Even though Caron Butler did not have enough time to focus on basketball in his school days, he played high school basketball for Racine Park.
While there, he began working on basic skills and improved in a short time.
As a result, he played in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for about two years in the late 90s. He mostly preferred playing in the small forward position.
However, sometimes, the coaches assign him the position of shooting guard.
Later on, he joined the Maine Central Institute for a brief period. Soon after, Butler received a scholarship from the University of Connecticut to play for the UConn Huskies.
College Career
Caron Butler joined the University of Connecticut in 2000 to play collegiate basketball. Even though he had gained quite some weight initially, he soon lost around 15 pounds and regained his pace.
He played excellently in the 2000 NCAA tournament and averaged 15.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game as a freshman. He became one of the top point scorers for the Huskies’ first season.
Moving on to the second season, Butler picked up even better form and obtained incredible stats. Again, he shocked everyone averaging 20.3 and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Consequently, he led his team to win regular-season titles in 2001. In addition, he performed exceptionally well during the Big East Conference and earned numerous honors.
Eventually, he decided it was high time to declare for the upcoming NBA draft. So he left his college career two years ahead and went for the draft in 2002.
Professional Career
The Miami Heat selected him as the 2002 NBA draft’s first-round 10th pick. The team trusted him even as a rookie, and he played all seasonal matches and started all of them.
Butler played excellently and finished his first NBA season, averaging 15.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. As a result, the young player received numerous accolades in his debut season.
Nevertheless, his second NBA season did not go well. He frequently suffered from injuries and missed many matches.
Hence, his stats drastically lowered, and eventually, the Heats traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2004-5 season, where he was able to play with NBA legend Kobe Bryant and develop a brotherhood.
After playing for the whole season, the LA Lakers transferred him to the Washington Wizards.
Butler played for about five NBA seasons for the Wizards. Being at the prime of the game of his career, he recorded over 15.0 points per game in all the seasons.
During his time with the Wizards, he faced a hand injury and missed many matches in the 2007-08 season.
Eventually, they traded him to the Dallas Mavericks on February 13, 2010. Caron played only one season with the Mavericks, finally winning a championship ring with them.
During his second season with the Mavericks, he suffered a tendon injury and underwent surgery before returning to the court.
After the surgery, he played six more NBA seasons but could not make significant records.
Finally, he announced his retirement from his professional career on February 6, 2018.
Post-NBA Career
After retiring from professional basketball, he joined ESPN as an NBA analyst and overlooked college basketball. Moving on, he also worked at FS1 as an analyst.
In addition, he is the author of two books. However, he wrote his first book, “Tuff Juice: My Journey from the Streets to the NBA,” an autobiography, while he was still actively playing in the league.
Moreover, he has co-written a book named “Shot Clock” with Justin A. Reynolds, which was released in September 2022.
He finally began working as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat on November 14, 2020.
Awards & Achievements
Some of his awards and achievements include:
- NBA Champion (2011)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (2003)
- Big East Player of The Year (2002)
- NBA All-Star (2007, 2008)
- Third-team All-Big East (2001)
- First-team All-Big East (2002)
Wife & Kids
Caron Butler is currently married to his long-time girlfriend, Andrea Pink. The two married each other in Las Vegas in 2005.
Butler met Andrea in the early 2000s when he played for the University of Connecticut. Soon they began to see each other and dated for about five years before getting married.
The couple is gifted with three beautiful daughters. Andrea gave birth to their first baby girl, Mia, in 2004, a year before their marriage. She gave birth to their second child, Ava, in 2010.
In addition, they welcomed their youngest daughter, Gia, in 2012. Butler has a son named Caron Jr. and a daughter named Camary from his previous relationship.
Net Worth, Salary & Career Earnings
According to various sources, Caron Butler has an estimated net worth of $26 million as of October 2024.
His current source of earnings is coaching the Miami Heat, one of the famous NBA league teams. But, he has accumulated much wealth as a professional player.
After signing with the Heats in 2002, he received about $1.6 million for his rookie season alone. Then, playing one more for the club, he was paid approximately $1.8 million.
Moving on to the Washington Wizards, he played nearly four seasons with them. They had offered him around $27.5 million.
In addition, he played for about half a dozen other teams from which he received about $55 million.
Playing in the NBA for about fifteen years, he accumulated around $85 million in his professional career.
In addition, he made a lot of money through merch sales, brand endorsements, and television programs.
He also earns through his brand “Tuff Juice,” which sells various items such as clothes, shoes, and many more.
Likewise, he owns various restaurants across the country.
Social Media Presence
The famous NBA player is available on different social media platforms, where he updates his fans about his new endeavors and family.
- Facebook: 194K Followers
- Twitter: 193.1K Followers
- Instagram: 451K Followers
Popularity Graph
The former NBA player is famous even after retirement as he is searched by millions of fans and followers.
The above graph illustrates his 12 months search trend.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many Burger Kings does Caron Butler own?
Caron Butler owns six different Burger Kings franchise across the USA. His dream has been to open up restaurants since his younger days when he worked at Burger King.
Where is Caron Butler now?
Butler mostly lives in Miami. He currently works as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat. He resides with his wife, Andrea, and children.
How did Caron get his nickname Tuff Juice?
Caron got his nickname Tuff Juice from the then-Washington Wizard's coach, Eddie Jordan. His teammates started calling him Tough Juice because he frequently motivated them to a better game even when he struggled to recover from the injury. Butler likes his nickname and has even named his merch brand Tuff Juice.
