Arguably unlike any other sport, basketball fans have a keen eye to transform the smallest things that happen during an NBA season into prominent memes on social media.

The "Jimmy Butler Reading" meme is a good example of this phenomenon, growing as a widely recognized reaction image online in recent years featuring the American basketball player looking humorously at a piece of paper.

But exactly what was Butler trying to read that made him squint his eyes, subsequently turning the moment into a viral meme on Twitter / X, and how exactly is it used as a meme format? Let's explain.

What Is The 'Jimmy Butler Reading' Meme?

The Jimmy Butler Reading meme, also commonly called "Jimmy Butler Looking at Paper," started as a candid shot of the athlete shared on Twitter / X back in April 2018 by X user @gorzinhand, who used Butler's confused reaction while reading a stat sheet as a reaction to @OliverMaroney's post about the Western Conference Playoff Scenarios from the NBA.

How Is The 'Jimmy Butler Reading' Used In Memes?

Although it received a modest amount of engagement in April 2018, the image gained traction over the years, particularly among NBA fans on Twitter, as people found the image to be a good (and humorous) way of expressing confusion over various topics.

Users typically employ this meme to show how hard it is to understand certain things posted on social media, especially complex or seemingly nonsensical statements.

For example, in May 2018, X user @shahemofficial posted the Butler Looking at Paper meme as a reaction to Kanye West's "Slavery Was a Choice" controversy.

Going into the 2020s, Butler's reading meme is still a fairly popular reaction image on Twitter and Instagram, among other sites.

For example, in February 2025, Instagram user @thegistusa posted the Jimmy Bulter trying to read meme as an image macro, writing, "Trying to figure out all the moving parts of the Jimmy Bulter trade like."

What Are Some More 'Jimmy Butler Reading' Memes?

'Jimmy Butler Reading' Meme Template

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For the full history of Jimmy Butler Reading, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.