Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had some high praise for Jimmy Butler on the eve of the 2025 NBA playoffs.
Kerr praised Butler’s ability in the postseason and even compared him to four-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala on Friday.
“We don’t employ ‘Playoff Jimmy,'” Kerr told 95.7 The Game. “Playoff Jimmy’ shows up on his own.”
“Jimmy reminds me so much of Andre Iguodala from a personality standpoint,” Kerr continued. “He almost doesn’t even really want to score. Like, Andre really loved the nuances of the game, he loved getting other people open, he loved manipulating the defense. I feel the same about Jimmy.
“He really loves the game, and he really loves the chess match, and he’s a much better scorer than Andre … but similar mentality of going whatever it takes to win tonight and ‘I’d rather pass the ball to my teammates than shoot.’ So it’s really just a beautiful mentality.”
In two different stints, Iguodala played a key role for the Warriors and memorably took home the NBA Finals MVP in 2015.
Kerr’s comments come just days after Butler scored a game-high 38 points to help the Warriors defeat the Grizzlies in the play-in tournament on Tuesday.
After being traded to the Warriors in February, Butler averaged 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 30 regular-season games, helping the team to get into playoff contention during the final stretch of the season.
Butler, 35, was sent to Golden State following his season-long quarrel with Heat management, who suspended the six-time All-Star multiple times throughout the season.
The five-time All-NBA player’s mood shifted immediately after being dealt to the Warriors, promising fans a championship in the near future.
“Ready to win, ready to work, ready to put on a show for y’all,” he said in a post shared on the Warriors’ X account.
“Let’s get it. Championship coming soon.”
The Warriors open their first-round matchup with the Rockets on Sunday.
