Jimmy Butler downplays his return to Miami as the Golden State Warriors prepare to face the struggling Heat. Despite a messy departure, Butler remains focused on winning, while Miami battles a ten-game losing streak.
Jimmy Butler insists his return to Miami is nothing special. On Tuesday, he’ll face the Heat for the first time since being traded to the Golden State Warriors last month, but to him, it’s just another game.
Points this season
“Yeah, I was traded from there, yada, yada, yada,” Butler said after the Warriors’ 124-115 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
“Yeah, it didn’t end the way that people wanted to, yada yada yada. But that’s so far behind me now. I don’t even think about it. I don’t pay attention to nothing except for the trajectory of this squad.”
Since Butler’s Golden State debut on February 8, the Warriors have surged to a 16-4 record. Meanwhile, Miami has spiraled, losing ten straight games for the first time since 2008. The Heat are just 4-17 since trading Butler, struggling in crunch time—they’ve been outscored by 125 points in the fourth quarter since February 6, the worst mark in the NBA over that span.
Tuesday’s matchup will also mark a reunion for Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson, two former Warriors who were sent to Miami in the blockbuster five-team trade.
“We got Jimmy over here, I know this is a big game for him,” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “They got Wiggs over there. I know it’s a huge game for him. We want to win for Jimmy, they’re going to want to win for Wiggs. We got to come out ready to play.”
Butler, who helped lead the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances in his five-and-a-half seasons with the team, had kind words for Miami’s fan base but remains unfazed by how they’ll receive him.
“Not really, don’t make no difference,” Butler said. “I’m a member of the Golden State Warriors. I love that fan base. They showed me a lot of love while I was there. But I’m there to win now. I’m on the opposing team.”
When asked how he’d summarize his time in Miami, Butler was blunt.
“We were alright,” he said. “We didn’t win nothing like we were supposed to. So I don’t know. We made some cool runs. We had some fun. I think that’s all we did.”
With Stephen Curry sidelined due to a pelvic contusion and still awaiting re-evaluation, Butler knows Golden State must figure out how to win without their superstar.
“Another game for me, another game that we’re expected to win for sure,” Butler said. “So we got to figure it out very quickly [without Curry].”
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