Steph Curry’s Jimmy Butler Answer Said It All After Warriors’ Playoff Exit

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates with forward Jimmy Butler III (10) after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates with forward Jimmy Butler III (10) after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The Golden State Warriors are still licking their wounds after getting eliminated from the NBA playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this month.

Having built up their momentum at the perfect time in the regular season, the Warriors made it all the way to the Western Conference semifinals before disaster struck: Steph Curry picked up a hamstring injury, and Golden State lost four straight as their ambitious NBA championship dreams went up in smoke.

Following the Warriors' disappointing playoff exit, some criticized Jimmy Butler for not doing enough while Curry was out. After taking Game 1, the Warriors just needed to hold down the fort and get one more win before Game 6, when Curry would reportedly return to the court.

But as fate would have it, the Warriors got sent home, and Jimmy Butler's first year with the Dubs ended in the bitter taste of disappointment.

Butler, who signed a two-year, $121 million extension with the Warriors after getting traded by the Miami Heat, will be sticking around through at least the 2026-27 season. Any concerns about his developing chemistry with Curry and the Warriors could feasibly be put to bed after Curry name-dropped his co-star while golfing earlier this week.

"I make you pass [the ball] for a game-winning shot, anybody in history, who's getting it?" A reporter asked during the Memorial Pro-Am at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio.

"Right now, Jimmy Butler," Curry said, without skipping a beat.

That's some high praise, considering all the stars Curry has played with and played against.

We'll just have to see how the Butler era in Golden State plays out, and hope that it doesn't get spoiled by drama like the ex-Heat star's last few stints in the NBA.


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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.