Former 76ers Star Makes Bold Statement After Warriors-Grizzlies

Ex-76ers star Jimmy Butler remains confident in his playoff value.

Apr 15, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) holds onto the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies during a timeout in the third quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

When the Philadelphia 76ers fired up a first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets in the 2019 NBA Playoffs, the City of Brotherly Love was introduced to “Playoff Jimmy Butler.”

At the time, Butler didn’t have an NBA Finals run under his belt, but he had a reputation for turning up his play in postseason scenarios. The Sixers got 12 postseason battles out of Butler that year. He averaged 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists, nearly leading the Sixers to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Ultimately, the Sixers dropped Game 7 against the Toronto Raptors in round two. By now, the whole world has seen the Kawhi Leonard dagger. The Sixers haven’t totally recovered. Butler, on the other hand, has moved on and remained confident in maintaining his postseason nickname.

On Tuesday night, Butler made his postseason debut with the Golden State Warriors. In the NBA Play-In Tournament’s battle for the Western Conference’s seventh seed, Butler dropped 38 points in 40 minutes. He also had seven rebounds and six assists in the Warriors’ 121-116 win over the Grizzlies.

After the game, Butler reiterated his postseason confidence not only in himself but in his teammate Steph Curry as well.

“I think any team has a chance when I’m on the team, but I know that every team has a chance if Steph [Curry] is on the team,” Butler told reporters.

“I get to play Robin. That’s my Batman, and I don’t know who else is, we got all the villains over there, Two-Face, Joker, and the Riddler—everybody else in the Western Conference—but we got a lot of games to win.”

"I think any team has a chance when I'm on the team... but I KNOW that EVERY team has a chance if Steph's on the team."

Jimmy Butler (a.k.a. Robin) on his Batman! pic.twitter.com/tQ7acPsfvv

— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2025

Butler has a strong reputation for battling in the playoffs. Curry has a championship pedigree. The 11-time NBA All-Star has four NBA Finals wins under his belt. He’s been the face of a Warriors dynasty and remains as competitive as ever, just winning a title in 2022.

Curry, Butler, and the Warriors picked up a first-round series against the Houston Rockets. Game 1 will take place on Sunday, April 20.