The Golden State Warriors have been on fire since landing Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline. With Butler, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green on the floor together, the chemistry has clicked almost instantly—like they’ve been playing together for years. But here’s something that might surprise you—Steph wasn’t always sold on Jimmy Butler.
Navigating the addition of a new teammate can be tricky. Not to mention the fact that you often need to bid farewell to someone you’ve played alongside for years. This seems to be the issue that Curry initially had with the signing of Jimmy Butler.
“So first, you’re upset because you’re losing guys that you went to war with, Wiggs especially, who helped us win a championship and saw him flourish for the five years he was here. Then it’s Kyle, Lindy, seeing them guys go, who were a big part of early in the year,” revealed Curry on “Steiny & Guru”.
Jan 10, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) talks with forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during a break in the action against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Things seemed to be touch and go in the Bay Area recently. There were several rumors about tension within the locker room after Buddy Hield’s shocking confession. What did he say? Well, Hield revealed that the team felt a similar way to Steph after Andrew Wiggins got traded away.
The way Hield worded it didn’t help, either. “It was emotional in that locker room. I was even more emotional because I wish it was me that got traded because Wiggs did so much for this franchise,” said Hield on 95.7 The Game’s “Steiny & Guru”. A shocking statement, yes. But it just goes to corroborate Steph’s words about losing a teammate who’d done so much for the club.
However, Steph Curry also helped dispel the rumors about problems in the Dubs locker room during his own appearance on The Game. So, let’s see what he said.
Stephen Curry gives credit to Jimmy Butler for making teammates “better”
Yes, there were mixed feelings after the Jimmy Butler trade. But they didn’t have anything to do with Jimmy himself. Rather, the loss of Andrew Wiggins was what hurt the team’s sentiments. However, Curry has revealed that once they started thinking about the future, things started to fall into place for the Dubs.
“We’re excited that Jimmy was here. We were, you know, again, understanding of who he was as a superstar and the idea that he plays basketball a very similar way, trying to, as he would say, ‘make the right play.’ But he demands a presence…And you can see it’s helped me and Draymond, but I think overall it’s helped everybody else more because he makes guys around him better,” Steph said about the effect Butler has on his teammates.
Feb 25, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) is congratulated by guard Stephen Curry (30) after a basket against the Charlotte Hornets in the third quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Jimmy’s effect on his teammates has been obvious, especially Steph. Not having to carry the Dubs’ offensive burden on his shoulders has meant Steph can play the way he wants. And that’s translated to him becoming the most efficient 25+ ppg scorer since the All-Star break, per StatMamba on X. Since then, Curry has delivered 29.5 ppg with an absurd true shooting percentage of 71%!
Clearly, the signing of Jimmy Buckets has rejuvenated the best player on the Dubs squad. And any reports of the locker room having problems can and should be ignored as the Warriors look to make a title challenge with Butler among their ranks!
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