Even though we are still a month away from witnessing Jimmy Butler’s first game facing his former team in a Golden State jersey, we can’t help but imagine how things will unfold. After a rocky end to his tenure in Miami, having requested a trade after they suspended him three separate times, there’s clearly a lot of feelings between them.
This is why the veteran guard expects this upcoming matchup to be a very “personal” one, as he still has a lot of love for everyone inside the Heat organization. “I think it’s a great feeling because you know everybody,” he shared on Virgin Radio Dubai’s The Kris Fade Show. “Just like I know their game, they know my game at the same rate. But it’s all love.”
The contest is set for March 25 in Florida. “I’ve been in the trenches with Miami for the past six seasons, and like I tell everybody, the way that they want to beat me and make sure that they beat the Golden State Warriors, I promise you, it’s just as personal for me as well,” he added.
‘It’s all love’: Jimmy Butler provides some closure on his Heat tenure but admits facing them will be ‘personal’ https://t.co/7gc80wyHJI
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) February 19, 2025
Despite the affection, Jimmy admitted he wished things would’ve ended differently. “Love those guys over there. Great organization. It didn’t end the way that everybody hoped it would end but that’s just part of the business of basketball. I don’t have anything bad to say about that organization,” he said.
It seems like Butler’s trade to Golden State has slowly, but surely been conquering teammate Draymond Green’s heart. When the former Heat star first arrived, the four-time champion called him a “franchise changer,” and now he seems convinced that the newcomer will bring the NBA title back to the Bay Area.
During the All-Star Weekend, he made this bold declaration about the Warriors’ chances at a title after acquiring the superstar at the NBA trade deadline. “I think we were kind of headed in the wrong direction, thinking we were figuring it out and never figuring it out this year,” he said.
Green then added: “Throughout the course this year, and since [Butler has] been here, we’ve walked into every game thinking and believing that we’re going to win that game. And that goes a long way in this league.”
