The Warriors are now 6-1 since Jimmy Butler arrived in California, and many believe the former Heat star has inspired the locker room and brought back joy to the club. In a recent interview, the veteran went as far as to say that Golden State is “better than any other organization he’s been a part of.”
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the new recruit couldn’t be more excited to play with his new team. “I’m telling you, it’s different this time,” the insider said in NBA Countdown. “I haven’t sensed the same feeling he’s had when he went to Philly, when he went to Miami. This is different for Jimmy Butler, going to Golden State.”
Shams then added: “He’s staying late for shootarounds. He’s staying late for practices. He’s spending so much time in the training room, the meal room. He’s going above and beyond to ingratiate himself with the Warriors right now.”
Right before this month’s deadline, Butler agreed to a two-year, $121 million extension which hopes to keep him with the Warriors through the 2026-27 campaign. In seven games, he’s already averaging 20.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals.
In a recent interview with Marcus Thompson II and Sam Amick from The Athletic, Jimmy guarantees that the reason he has fitted into the Golden State dynamic is because of how clearly his role has been defined for him in his new team. “I see my role clearer than ever. And that’s the thing.
“Here, everybody knows their role, and they know where the ball is supposed to go, at what time in the game, and that’s a huge difference-maker. Ain’t nobody fighting for shots. Ain’t nobody doing none of that,” the 35-year-old said.
The veteran then added: “You get the ball where it needs to go. In the fourth quarter, you slow the ball down, take good shots, take care of the ball, and that’s what it takes to win in this league at a high level. They’ve done it a s— ton of times. This is what I’ve been trying to do in the past X amount of years.”
