Eric Bledsoe helped grow Lamont Butler's love for basketball

Lamont Butler fell in love with basketball around 2010. Despite being born and raised in California, he gravitated towards the Kentucky Wildcats. Eric Bledsoe was a big reason why.

Bledsoe was an SEC All-Rookie performer during the 2009-10 college season, the first with John Calipari coaching Kentucky. He wasn’t the tallest guard at just 6-foot-1, but his energy, athleticism, and pure strength allowed him to thrive on the hardwood. Bledsoe went on to be a first-round NBA Draft pick and spent 12 years in the league.

For Butler, watching Bledsoe — often mentioned third on a Kentucky team featuring John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins — so many years ago made him a fan of basketball for life. And as fate would have it, the two finally met face-to-face earlier this month. Butler, who transferred to UK in the offseason from San Diego State, had the opportunity to interview Bledsoe, who is back in Lexington representing La Familia in The Basketball Tournament.

“It was pretty awesome to meet him,” Butler, who says he showed Bledsoe a picture of the two that was taken over a decade ago, told reporters on Tuesday. “Pretty much an honor. I grew up watching Kentucky basketball, he was one of the first teams I really started watching in 2010. It was amazing to be able to meet him, chop it up with him, and the stuff that he gave me to improve on, his challenges for me, being a big leader, things like that. It was great to see that.”

The best advice he received from Bledsoe?

“Have fun, don’t put too much pressure on yourself,” Butler said.

Back in Blue featuring @lamont_butler1 and @EBled2 pic.twitter.com/6p6RWSemDZ

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) July 19, 2024

Unfortunately, due to a minor toe injury, Butler was unable to compete against Bledsoe and La Familia during multiple practice sessions last week. The toe is fine now though, Butler says, and he was back to practicing as of Monday. But the basketball conversations the two have had were priceless. Bledsoe shared lessons with Butler that he learned from Chris Paul (one of Butler’s idols) from the days when Bledsoe and Paul were teammates on the Los Angeles Clippers.

“It’s just always amazing to see how people grow up from old pictures and stuff,” Bledsoe said after Tuesday night’s TBT win against Herd That. “To see him actually be on a Kentucky team that I played for is very special. I think he’s gonna be great. I just told him to lead the team. Lead the team, it ain’t gonna always be pretty. As long as he stays poised and solid, he’s gonna be all right.”

Bledsoe and Butler, two stocky guards, share similar traits, too. Bledsoe is 6-foot-1, around 215 pounds, while Butler is 6-foot-2, roughly 205 pounds. They prioritize defense and use their physicality to make an impact. Their college stats aren’t too far off from each other, either. You can see the comparisons in the stats and in their games.

• Bledsoe (2009-10; UK): 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.4 steals in 30.3 minutes per game | 46.2 FG%, 38.3 3PT%, 66.7 FT%
• Butler (2020-24; SDSU): 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals in 23.4 minutes per game | 41.2 FG%, 32.1 3PT%, 67.5 FT%

If Butler is anything at Kentucky like Bledsoe was, the Wildcats will be in a great spot this season.