Winning is only Warriors culture Jimmy Butler cares about

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Winning is only Warriors culture Jimmy Butler cares about originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LOS ANGELES – There was one word said multiple times Thursday at Jimmy Butler’s Warriors introductory press conference that stood out above everything else: Winning.

“For myself, I’m just so happy to be playing basketball again, honestly, but for an organization like this one with some hella fine talent that we have,” Butler said to begin his opening statement at Crypto.com Arena minutes before the Warriors were set to play the Los Angeles Lakers. “I’m glad that I get the opportunity to get here and help get us to winning and do something special. I think that’s why I’m here, and I want to do my best to do what everybody wants, and that’s to win a championship.

“I mean it.”

An hour before Butler and Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy spoke to the media, coach Steve Kerr admitted he doesn’t know Butler well and hasn’t spoken with him yet. Kerr, like everybody else, is well aware of the drama that surrounded Butler in his ugly exit from the Miami Heat this season.

Kerr knows about the three suspensions. He knows how Butler’s tenures with previous teams ended. The Warriors have a proven culture, and many have questions if Butler fits it. Those within had the same questions before the Warriors ultimately made the move to add Butler and subsequently hand him a two-year contract extension through the 2026-27 NBA season before he ever played a game in a Golden State jersey.

If there are culture concerns, Kerr kept those to himself and behind closed doors.

“It’s a living, breathing thing, but it’s real,” Kerr said. “You feel it. You know, when you have a strong culture, it’s hard to to quantify or define, but you feel it. I think a lot of our culture people have observed and looked at it and see the joy and the way [Steph Curry] plays, and the energy and the beauty of it all. But, you don’t win four championships … without being extremely competitive. So we have a competitive group, and I know Jimmy is also extremely competitive. So I think he’ll fit right in.”

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/winning-only-warriors-culture-jimmy-202413028.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2025-02-06 20:24:00

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