Jimmy Butler Talks Steph Curry, Warriors' Playoffs, Heat and More in B/R Interview

Star forward Jimmy Butler III has been known for his epic playoff performances where he puts the entire team on his back, and his approach won't change with the Golden State Warriors.

Despite playing alongside four-time NBA champions Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Butler is confident that "Playoff Jimmy" will be in full effect this postseason.

"I'm gonna still be who I am come the playoffs, and do whatever it takes to help this team win," Butler told B/R in an interview. "That's what they're gonna ask of me, that's what they're gonna need from me. I know I'll be able to step up to the plate and make that happen. Support Steph and Dray in any way that I can, along with anybody else on this roster, and get some 'dubs."

The Warriors acquired Butler from the Miami Heat at last month's trade deadline, and the two sides hit it off in a big way. Golden State is 18-4 in the 22 games played since Butler's arrival and sits in sixth place in the Western Conference with a 43-31 record after Sunday's 148-106 win against the San Antonio Spurs. Butler, who is seeking the first championship ring of his career, admitted that he's still adjusting to a new style of play, but he believes the Warriors have what it takes to win it all.

"I like our chances. I think we're still learning how to win with me on the team in the sense of like, I played a different style of basketball for a very long time," he said. "Now integrating myself into their system, fitting in and also being able to be the player that I am and play the way that I play, we're still learning, we're figuring it out. Obviously, Steph's been down the last two, so that makes it a little more difficult on everybody. But when he's back, I'm taking our chances against anybody."

Curry has since returned from his two-game absence caused by a pelvic contusion and helped lead the Warriors to back-to-back wins. Butler said he's enjoyed getting to know his new two-time NBA MVP teammate off the court just as much as they've been learning one another on it.

"Lots of smiles, lots of learning each other and figuring out what exactly we have in common. And then just seeing how he is with everybody is the most refreshing part," Butler said. "I've said it a thousand times, genuinely just a nice human being, a nice guy that wants to see everybody happy, smiling, whether you're on the team, you're a fan, you're in Antarctica. He just wants everybody to be happy, everybody to smile, everybody to show a lot of love towards everybody else. He's just radiant of that energy, so getting to know him has been absolutely incredible. Obviously, getting to see him play basketball and playing alongside him has been really incredible as well, but I stand on that dude is just a really, really good human being."

Butler added that the biggest thing he learned about Curry since becoming teammates is his competitive spirit.

"He competes. In everything, like everybody else, he wants to be the best," Butler said. "There's a lot of games being played on the planes, in the hotel rooms while we're traveling. Anything that anybody has to compete at, you can normally find Draymond, myself and Steph, along with Buddy Hield... those are the four that are always trying to get the best out of each other in everything."

The budding partnership with Curry is just one of the many reasons why Butler has embraced his new home in Golden State. He praised the organization for welcoming him and his family with open arms.

"It's great, every part of it. The way that your family's welcomed everywhere, they just want to make sure that you're happy, that you have everything you need, everybody in the organization is like that from day one," Butler said. "They're always, 'Hey, do you need this? Can I help you with this? Can I help you with that?' It's just very refreshing to know that somebody's out there who got your back and wants you to be great. And then in basketball, the human beings and the basketball players that I get to be around, is at an all-time high. Everybody's smiling, everybody's happy, everybody's trying to make this late playoff push and get ready for this next part of the season."

Butler returned to Miami for the first time since the trade last week, scoring 11 points in the Warriors' 112-86 loss to the Heat on Tuesday. Despite the disappointing game result, the 35-year-old appreciated the opportunity to return to a city he called home for six years.

"I felt good, honestly. More than anything, man, I just was glad I got to be back in my coffee shop, and to play dominoes with people I was playing dominoes with for six seasons, and to see some familiar faces and go out there and compete," he said. "Obviously, the game didn't turn out the way we wanted it to turn out, but that's just part of it. Like I tell everybody, it's just one game. Yeah, we want to win them all, but we can't let it downward spiral into something way worse than it is. We just didn't win."

Butler opened the first brick-and-mortar location for his Big Face Coffee Shop in December. What started as an idea in the NBA bubble during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season became one of Butler's biggest interests off the court.

"I just think it's a vibe, overall. You get to go in there and you get to be yourself. There are no superstar athletes, there are no superstar movie people, there are no famous scientists in there, we're all just coffee lovers going there to figure out what we have in common with one another," Butler said. "It's like a rule in my coffee shop, no autographs, no photos for anybody that comes in there. I just want everybody to be able to get out of the house. As I am a person of a little bit of stature, I don't ever want to be cooped up in the house, that's where this idea really came from. So I want everybody to be able to be comfortable, go in there and just sit down, vibe, play some dominoes, play some Uno, play some Sequence, have some Cheez-It crackers, whatever the case may be, you can do it in the Big Face Coffee Shop."

Speaking of Cheez-It, Butler partnered with the company for a new campaign in which he schools the brand's character, Cheez, on basketball culture, courtside swagger and gameday fashion. He said Extra Toasty Cheez-It crackers are now his favorite travel snack, and he had a blast shooting the ad spots.

"Different, something different. It was something that I've never done before, but just to see the way that everything came together and the whole process, it puts a smile on my face because I never know how anything is really gonna turn out until you start to see it really happen," Butler said. "But I liked it, I enjoyed it. The whole cast, everybody who was behind the scenes, to everybody in the scenes with me, they were so great. I had so much fun, it was a good couple hours that I had there with Cheez."

At this stage in his career, Butler is still welcoming the opportunity for new experiences, and he hopes his positive approach helps lead him to his ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship.

"I'm just pushing to be great every day, in every aspect of life. Yes, basketball, yes, fatherhood, friendship, dominoes, business. Whatever I can do to be better than I was yesterday, that's what I'm pushing for right now," he said. "At 35, I've learned a lot, I've learned from my mistakes, I've learned from the things I've done great. Just continue to try to be better in all aspects of my life, that's never gonna change, and we'll see where we end up."