Lamar Butler
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| Lamar Butler | |
|---|---|
| College | George Mason University |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Position | Guard |
| Jersey # | 22 |
| Class | 2006 |
| Career | 2001 – 2006 |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | December 21, 1983 (age 23) Fort Washington, Maryland |
| High School | Oxon Hill High School, Oxon Hill, Maryland |
Lamar Edward Butler, Jr. (born December 21, 1983) is a former American college basketball player who was a starting guard for the Patriots of George Mason University during the Patriots' surprising run to the Final Four.
During George Mason's captivating run through the NCAA tournament, Butler became a symbol of Cinderella and the tournament collectively with his tenacious heart and infectious smile and was featured on the cover of the March 27, 2006 Sports Illustrated. Following GMU's stunning 86-84 overtime victory against the top-seeded UConn Huskies in the Washington D.C. Regional Final, Butler was named the region's Most Valuable Player. He scored 13 points against Michigan State in the first round, 18 points against North Carolina in the second round, 14 points against Wichita State in the Sweet Sixteen, and 19 points against UConn.
After the regional final, Butler and his father were in tears as they hugged in length on the court. It hearkened memories of Butler's recruiting by GMU, during which he brashly predicted to Coach Jim Larranaga that he would lead the Patriots to the Final Four.
"I think I was joking when I said that," Butler said. "I started dreaming when I got to college. It shows you anything can happen."
Butler and the Patriots then headed to Indianapolis, where they faced the Florida Gators, led by Minnesota Regional MVP Joakim Noah. To the dismay of many across the country rooting for the team leading one of the greatest Cinderella stories in sports history, George Mason was defeated by Florida in the Final Four 58-73 on Saturday, April 1st, 2006. In his final game as an NCAA athlete, Butler played 36 minutes where he scored 8 points (4 of 7 FGs, 0 of 2 3PTs) had 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. He will remain etched in NCAA basketball lore for the role he played in George Mason's run.
He averaged 12.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game during the 2005–2006 season.
Since graduating, Butler was offered to join the summer league for the Washington Wizards only to have the deal revoked. Currently he is playing with BK Prostejov in the Czech Republic at $8,000 a month. [1]
