Who is Michelle Lambert? How is she related to Jimmy Butler

Michelle Lambert played a crucial role in Jimmy Butler's life as a teenager. Butler grew up in difficult circumstances. His father, also named Jimmy Butler, left the house when the Heat superstar was an infant. As Butler turned 13, his mother, Londa, kicked him out of the house, saying she didn't like the look of him.

Butler started to live with his friends after getting kicked out of his house. That's when he met Michelle Lambert, the mother of his close friend Jordan Leslie, who Butler put up with when he turned 16. Butler met Leslie in high school. The latter noticed Butler at the time and challenged him to a 3-point shooting contest. Leslie was an athlete, too, playing football and basketball at the school.

That's how their equation developed as close friends, leading to Jimmy Butler visiting Leslie's home often and staying with his family. Michelle Lambert had six children, including Leslie's stepfather. The family was reluctant to let Butler into their house, but they eventually accepted him. Lambert filled the void left by Butler's biological mother.

Butler refers to Michelle as his mom. She accompanied him when he entered the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. Lambert deserves a lot of credit for taking Butler in at a young age when he had nowhere to go.

The stability she brought into his life as a high school kid was significant, having a crucial impact on where he is today in his career.

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Jimmy Butler holds no grudges towards his biological parents

Despite his biological parents leaving him on his own at a young age, Jimmy Butler doesn't hold grudges towards them. The Miami Heat star still talks to them and claims they all love each other.

"I don't hold grudges. I still talk to my family. My mom. My father. We love each other. That's never going to change," Butler told ESPN in 2015.

Butler overcame these struggles after putting up a tremendous fight. That may have contributed to him becoming one of the top superstars in the NBA today. Butler is as composed as they come in pressure situations, honing the tag as one of the league's most clutch players.

He recently achieved an incredible feat when he put in an all-time effort by leading the No. 8-seeded Miami Heat to a first-round series win over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs by a 4-1 margin. Butler and the Heat are just one win away from making their second consecutive finals appearance.

During this postseason, Butler has averaged 31.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. He is leading the race as the best player in the playoffs this year.