Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler put Buddy Hield on notice by trolling him over his pet peeve.
“We just gotta stay in the fight, box out. Have some technique and stop patting the ball like I’ve been doing and just go grab them with two hands,” Butler told reporters following Monday’s practice.
Then, out of nowhere, Butler trolls Hield.
“And Buddy, stop trying to dribble the ball, I hate that,” Butler said with a dry humor.
Hield is the Warriors’ second-best catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, hitting at a 39.1% clip. Only starting shooting guard Brandin Podziemski is better than him at 39.7% clip, according NBA stats, provided by Second Spectrum.
So, Butler wants Hield to play to his strength rather than trying to dribble and pull-up.
Among all Warriors reserves, Hield sits atop the list of Butler’s passing recipient. Butler passed the ball 139 times to Hield in the regular season, per NBA tracking data. The closest as Butler’s favorite passing target in their bench unit is rookie Quinten Post with a total of 122.
Butler had assisted Hield in 17 made field goals, including 13 from the 3-point line in the regular season.
The Jimmy Butler-Buddy Hield Trolling Timeline
Butler and Hield have become close and it was evident on how they poke fun at each other.
It was not the first time, Butler had trolled Hield.
After their March 20 victory over the Toronto Raptors, Hield interrupted Butler’s media availability.
“You all are talking about Jimmy? That fake [expletive] triple-double, he had today?” Hield was heard yelling in jest.
“Oh, come on. You don’t pass the ball enough to get a triple-double,” Butler snapped back eliciting laughter from the reporters. “So, I’m not even worried about you. Jeez!”
It did not end there as Butler continued to troll Hield by poking fun at the spelling of his name.
The Jimmy Butler III/Buddy Hield discourse is unmatched:
Here’s Jimmy going in on Buddy about the spelling of his name 😂
“It’d be better if it was B-U-D-D-I-E, but B-U-D-D-Y is kinda boring. It’s stupid too.”
Jimmy to Buddy:
“Can you go home?!” 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/uAHEP8UpCa
— KNBR (@KNBR) March 21, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The fun banter between the two Warriors started on March 10 when Butler roasted him for calling him the “connector.”
Jimmy Butler Makes History in Warriors Playoff Debut
The Warriors finally experienced the “Playoff Jimmy” in their Game 1 win over the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets 95-85 on Sunday, April 20.
Butler delivered a vintage “Playoff Jimmy” performance with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. His poise steadied the Warriors when the Rockets threatened to come back.
The 35-year-old Butler became the first player to have 25 points and 5 steals in a playoff debut with a franchise since steals became official in 1973-74, according to ESPN. He also tied Allen Iverson for the third-most playoff games with 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.
Butler scored six points in the final 1:43 to douse cold water on the Rockets’ fiery rally as the Warriors improved to 25-8 overall since he joined the team via trade from Miami at the deadline.
