Jimmy Butler doesn’t beat around the bush. Whether in words or actions—whichever the situation calls for—the Golden State Warriors forward looks back calmly and clearly, convinced that his behavior early last season, when he ultimately parted ways with the Miami Heat, was necessary.
“All that noise, all that chaos… it paid off. I’m lucky to be part of this phenomenal organization,” he tells San Francisco Chronicle during a preseason workout.
The truth is that Butler is a player who tends to burn through cycles rather easily, and not just in any fashion—he lives by the well-known saying, “you’re either with me or against me.” He doesn’t do gray areas, so it’s no surprise he felt he had to cut ties in Miami.
“Everything starts out great, but then you know someone has to be the villain, and that’s me. I’m always the one who suddenly does something unbearable… But it doesn’t matter. I’m lucky to play in this wonderful league with incredible teammates,” he stresses about his current situation with the Warriors, a team with which he had a strong final stretch last season after being traded in February.
Jimmy Butler and the Warriors’ clean approach
Now settled in San Francisco with a two-year, $121 million extension, Butler has no qualms about comparing both organizations, even hinting that things in Florida weren’t entirely aboveboard. “Being here, there’s only one goal: keep hanging those things on the wall. There are no hidden agendas,” he says, alluding to what he experienced on Pat Riley’s team.
(Photo by David Gonzales-Imagn Images)
