Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler 'Complement' One Another in Debut Win As Teammates

The Warriors rolled in Jimmy Butler's Golden State debut.
The Golden State Warriors rolled to a blowout victory in Jimmy Butler's team debut.
The Golden State Warriors rolled to a blowout victory in Jimmy Butler's team debut. / David Banks-Imagn Images
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The Golden State Warriors rolled to a 132-111 win against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night in a staggering debut for Jimmy Butler in a Warriors uniform.

Butler hit 11 of his 13 free throw attempts as he scored 25 points and added two rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes of action, not looking the least bit rusty in his first game in nearly three weeks. He complemented a standout performance from longtime Warriors star Steph Curry, who led all scorers with 34 points on 10-for-19 shooting, which included eight threes.

After the game, Curry had nothing but good things to say about his new teammate in Butler, and was excited for the new partnership with his running mate.

"If we're decisive and organized, it's hard to kind of take away everything," Curry said. "I think that he's like the exact opposite player of me. I shot 16 threes. He shot one. He got to the free throw line a lot, dominated the paint. I dominate the perimeter. The guys working around us...it has the potential to be really fun."

Butler agreed with the assessment of his new teammate.

"They say opposites attract in a lot of ways in life. I don't think I can be a better complement to him and vice versa. They're not leaving him ever. Probably two people would never leave him so there's so much space for everybody else. I get the easy job. I'm playing one-on-one or I'm playing in so much space and then everybody's looking for him. Everybody's looking to get him open and at the same time, he's looking for everyone else. It's so great to play with someone like that."

It's clear that Butler is refreshed and very happy that he's landed in Golden State with Curry. The duo will look to continue their early success when they take the floor once again on Monday night in Milwaukee against the Bucks.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.