Mario Butler
Encyclopedia
Mario Butler is a former basketball
player who acquired much fame across Latin America
, specially in his native Panama
and in uerto sneako
].
university
and a spot on the Panama national basketball team.
Butler moved briefly to the US on a basketball scholarship. He studied at Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa, where he befriended another Panamanian and future basketball legend in Puerto Rico, Rolando Frazer. Butler and Frazer, had played together with Panama's national team; away from home, however, they were also able to establish a friendship. While at Briar Cliff, Butler, Frazer and other members of head coach Ray Nacke's "Panama Pipeline", led the Chargers a #1 Ranking in 1981 and trips to the NAIA National Tournament.
, held in San Juan
. The Puerto Rican
basketball leader was so impressed by Butler and Frazer's playing that he decided to carry out a special draft in 1980, and Butler was chosen by the Morovis Titans, while Frazer went to the Polluelos de Aibonito
.
Butler, alongside teammates Wesley Correa and Mario Sanchez
, brought instant respectability to the Titans. During that era, games were shown on Puerto Rico's national television
almost daily (on weekends, twice a day) by WAPA-TV
, helping Butler, Frazer, Mario Morales
, Georgie Torres
, Jerome Mincy
and a number of other BSN players to become household names there. Despite being active in the BSN, Butler continued representing Panama at different international tournaments, but he was not able to participate at any Olympic Games
; Panama never qualified for them during Butler's period with their national team.
In 1983, the Titans almost won the BSN's title, losing to Morales, Fico Lopez
and the Guaynabo Mets
during a seven game semi-final series. The Titans repeated their regular season success from 1984 to 1986, only to fall short in the playoffs. But at the 1987 BSN finals, Butler and the Titans finally conquered the title, the franchise's first and so far, only, title, by beating the defending champions, Frazer and the Polluelos, by a score of 100-92 in game seven of the championship series. Correa, who was considered by many Puerto Ricans to be the best player on the Titans of that era, said "Me and the two Marios (Butler and Sanchez) have been working for so long that we deserved this title since a long time ago!". By then, Butler had been nicknamed by famous broadcaster Manolo Rivera Morales
as "The Panamanian Express" and "The King of the Jungle".
After many other seasons with the Titans, Butler joined the Santurce Crabbers, where he played alongside José Ortiz
and Carlos Arroyo
, among others. Butler added three more championships to his resume when the Crabbers, who had begun a four championships in a row run in 1997, won the 1998, 1999 and 2000 titles.
After playing with the Crabbers, Butler joined the Carolina Giants, where he played until 2002. Then, he signed with the Titans again. In 2003, Butler made history twice, breaking the record for most games played in the BSN's history, and becoming half of the first father and son duo in Puerto Rico to play for the same team at the same time in the BSN, alongside Mario Jr.
Butler scored more than 12,000 points at the BSN, making him a member of the exclusive group of players to have scored 5,000 or more points in that league (as the league usually has a schedule of only 30 to 33 games per year, anyone who reaches 5,000 or more points there is generally considered as an all-time great by Puerto Ricans), and also joining the even more exclusive group of players with 10,000 or more points scored. He averaged 17 points per game over 23 years. He also collected more than 8,000 rebounds, for an average of almost 12 rebounds caught per game. Butler was the BSN's MVP in 1988, and the league's defensive player of the year in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1994.
Mario Butler returned to basketball, lured by Yamil Chade
, in time to win his fifth BSN basketball championship, this time with the Arecibo Captains
during 2005.
, the Dominican Republic
, Ecuador
, Italy
, Mexico
, Spain
, the United States (though not in the NBA) and Venezuela
.
Butler saw action for the Panamanian national team in other important tournaments apart from the Pan American games. These included the Central American and Caribbean Games
, the Pre-Olympics and others. It was because of this international exposure that he, at 6 feet and 8 inches (80 inches) tall, became known by many basketball fans as one of the most dominant centers in the Spanish
-speaking countries during his era as a basketball player.
One incident that Butler publicly admitted he probably will never forget happened while he was a player for the Aguascalientes
team in Mexico: after the game's referees made a call that disgusted local fans, many fans jumped onto the court to fight Butler and his teammates. Others began tossing bottle
s and other items from the fan stands. Butler and his coach, fellow Puerto Rican Julio Toro
, had to push some fans away in order to make it out of the arena, and they were formally accused by some fans of hitting them, but the Mexican police
never charged them.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who acquired much fame across Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, specially in his native Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and in uerto sneako
].
Panama
Butler grew up on the streets of Panama City, where he picked up the game of basketball at around the age of 9 to 11. Butler quickly became famous around his neighborhood for his abilities, and he eventually earned a scholarship in a United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and a spot on the Panama national basketball team.
Butler moved briefly to the US on a basketball scholarship. He studied at Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa, where he befriended another Panamanian and future basketball legend in Puerto Rico, Rolando Frazer. Butler and Frazer, had played together with Panama's national team; away from home, however, they were also able to establish a friendship. While at Briar Cliff, Butler, Frazer and other members of head coach Ray Nacke's "Panama Pipeline", led the Chargers a #1 Ranking in 1981 and trips to the NAIA National Tournament.
Puerto Rico
In 1979, Genaro Marchand, then president of the BSN, attended the Pan American GamesPan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
, held in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. The Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
basketball leader was so impressed by Butler and Frazer's playing that he decided to carry out a special draft in 1980, and Butler was chosen by the Morovis Titans, while Frazer went to the Polluelos de Aibonito
Aibonito, Puerto Rico
Aibonito is a small mountain town in Puerto Rico located in the Mountain range of Cayey, north of Salinas; south of Barranquitas and Comerio; east of Coamo; and west of Cidra, and Cayey. Aibonito is spread over 8 wards and Aibonito Pueblo...
.
Butler, alongside teammates Wesley Correa and Mario Sanchez
Mario Sanchez
Mario Sanchez is a squash player from Mexico. He was one of the leading hardball squash players in North America in the late-1970s and 1980s.- External links :*...
, brought instant respectability to the Titans. During that era, games were shown on Puerto Rico's national television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
almost daily (on weekends, twice a day) by WAPA-TV
WAPA-TV
WAPA-TV is an independent television station located in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over digital channel 27, virtual channel 4. The station is owned by InterMedia Partners and is branded as WAPA Television....
, helping Butler, Frazer, Mario Morales
Mario Morales
Mario Morales , aka "Quijote" Morales, for his ability to conquer both scoring and team championships in the Puerto Rican BSN league, is one of Puerto Rico's most famous basketball players.-Professional career:...
, Georgie Torres
Georgie Torres
Georgie Torres , better known as Georgie Torres, is a Puerto Rican. He is a well known former BSN basketball player. Torres broke the record for the most points scored in a career at that league, with over 16,000 points scored. He was the first player to reach that number of points...
, Jerome Mincy
Jerome Mincy
Jerome Alfred Mincy Clark is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player of American parents. Mincy has played in the NCAA with the UAB Blazers and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico with Bayamón Cowboys...
and a number of other BSN players to become household names there. Despite being active in the BSN, Butler continued representing Panama at different international tournaments, but he was not able to participate at any Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
; Panama never qualified for them during Butler's period with their national team.
In 1983, the Titans almost won the BSN's title, losing to Morales, Fico Lopez
Federico Lopez
Federico López Camacho was a Puerto Rican basketball player. He was a member of the Guaynabo Mets....
and the Guaynabo Mets
Guaynabo Mets
The Mets de Guaynabo are a BSN professional basketball team from Puerto Rico.The Mets began to play as basketball's original Cangrejeros de Santurce. Before the 1976 season, they moved to Guaynabo...
during a seven game semi-final series. The Titans repeated their regular season success from 1984 to 1986, only to fall short in the playoffs. But at the 1987 BSN finals, Butler and the Titans finally conquered the title, the franchise's first and so far, only, title, by beating the defending champions, Frazer and the Polluelos, by a score of 100-92 in game seven of the championship series. Correa, who was considered by many Puerto Ricans to be the best player on the Titans of that era, said "Me and the two Marios (Butler and Sanchez) have been working for so long that we deserved this title since a long time ago!". By then, Butler had been nicknamed by famous broadcaster Manolo Rivera Morales
Manolo Rivera Morales
Manuel Rivera Morales was a Puerto Rican sportscaster, radio announcer and marketing sales executive. Rivera Morales is considered by many to be the best sportscaster in Puerto Rican history...
as "The Panamanian Express" and "The King of the Jungle".
After many other seasons with the Titans, Butler joined the Santurce Crabbers, where he played alongside José Ortiz
José Ortiz
José Rafael Ortiz , better known as Piculín or Picu, is a retired Puerto Rican professional basketball player...
and Carlos Arroyo
Carlos Arroyo
Carlos Alberto Arroyo Bermúdez is a Puerto Rican professional basketball point guard who last played for the Boston Celtics. Arroyo is the fifth player from Puerto Rico to play in the NBA...
, among others. Butler added three more championships to his resume when the Crabbers, who had begun a four championships in a row run in 1997, won the 1998, 1999 and 2000 titles.
After playing with the Crabbers, Butler joined the Carolina Giants, where he played until 2002. Then, he signed with the Titans again. In 2003, Butler made history twice, breaking the record for most games played in the BSN's history, and becoming half of the first father and son duo in Puerto Rico to play for the same team at the same time in the BSN, alongside Mario Jr.
Butler scored more than 12,000 points at the BSN, making him a member of the exclusive group of players to have scored 5,000 or more points in that league (as the league usually has a schedule of only 30 to 33 games per year, anyone who reaches 5,000 or more points there is generally considered as an all-time great by Puerto Ricans), and also joining the even more exclusive group of players with 10,000 or more points scored. He averaged 17 points per game over 23 years. He also collected more than 8,000 rebounds, for an average of almost 12 rebounds caught per game. Butler was the BSN's MVP in 1988, and the league's defensive player of the year in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1994.
Mario Butler returned to basketball, lured by Yamil Chade
Yamil Chade
Yamil Chade was a part Lebanese, part Cuban and Puerto Rican sports team owner and athlete manager.-Biography:...
, in time to win his fifth BSN basketball championship, this time with the Arecibo Captains
Arecibo Captains
The Capitanes de Arecibo are a team in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional , Puerto Rico's main basketball league. In 2010, the team also played in the Premier Basketball League under the name Capitanes de Puerto Rico....
during 2005.
International play
Mario Butler also saw action in professional leagues of other countries besides Panama and Puerto Rico. He played as a professional in ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, the United States (though not in the NBA) and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
.
Butler saw action for the Panamanian national team in other important tournaments apart from the Pan American games. These included the Central American and Caribbean Games
Central American and Caribbean Games
The Central American and Caribbean Games are a multi-sport regional championships event, held quadrennial , typically in the middle year between Summer Olympics...
, the Pre-Olympics and others. It was because of this international exposure that he, at 6 feet and 8 inches (80 inches) tall, became known by many basketball fans as one of the most dominant centers in the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
-speaking countries during his era as a basketball player.
One incident that Butler publicly admitted he probably will never forget happened while he was a player for the Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 11 municipalities and its capital city is Aguascalientes....
team in Mexico: after the game's referees made a call that disgusted local fans, many fans jumped onto the court to fight Butler and his teammates. Others began tossing bottle
Bottle
A bottle is a rigid container with a neck that is narrower than the body and a "mouth". By contrast, a jar has a relatively large mouth or opening. Bottles are often made of glass, clay, plastic, aluminum or other impervious materials, and typically used to store liquids such as water, milk, soft...
s and other items from the fan stands. Butler and his coach, fellow Puerto Rican Julio Toro
Julio Toro
Julio Toro is a Puerto Rican basketball coach. At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, he made history by becoming the first non-Soviet coach to defeat the United States during Olympic competition, and the first coach to defeat an American team composed of NBA players at an Olympics...
, had to push some fans away in order to make it out of the arena, and they were formally accused by some fans of hitting them, but the Mexican police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
never charged them.