Jimmy Butler helped the Golden State Warriors engineer a big midseason turnaround, moving from the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference in February to now reach the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Butler and the Warriors took down the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in Game 7 on Sunday, winning 103-89 behind a strong defensive effort and well-rounded scoring from the starting five.
Butler chipped in 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Warriors advanced to face the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But when he was asked about his short tenure with the Warriors, Butler may have still had the messy exit from the Miami Heat on his mind. Butler's tenure with the Heat came to a difficult end, with the team suspending him a series of times including an incident in January where he reportedly walked out of practice.
"It's always good to be wanted and appreciated for your skill set and your talent," Butler said after the win. "Here they welcomed me with open arms and let me be the player that I am and it fit into what they do so incredibly well."
SURVIVE. ADVANCE. @StephenCurry30 x @JimmyButler https://t.co/F8QltdnIHQ pic.twitter.com/vxQFubwgox
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2025
The postgame remarks were similar to comments Butler made shortly after being traded, hinting that the Heat no longer valued him and that he felt "unwanted" in Miami.
“I saw a group that wanted me to be a part of it,” Butler said, via Andscape. “That's all you ever wanted to be is wanted in this life, not just in this league. In anything, you want to be wanted. Needed is like a necessity. Wanted is like somebody’s choosing to bring you aboard this. I think that’s the ultimate sign of respect.”
