Jimmy Butler Attempts to Learn Kung Fu From Jackie Chan During China Tour

Nickeem Khan | 05/08/2025
Jimmy Butler (L), Jackie Chan (R)

Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler is a man of many talents. Aside from his skills on the basketball court, Butler is a business mogul and even a baker. Those things don’t necessarily assist with his mission to win an NBA championship but learning the art of kung fu from Jackie Chan might.

Butler is currently in China for his Li-Ning tour. The six-time All-Star signed with the Chinese sneaker brand in 2020, after he parted ways with the Jordan brand. During his China tour, he has attended plenty of major events.

Coincidentally, Jackie Chan has been touring the nation as part of the promotion of his new film The Shadow’s Edge. Li Ning pulled some strings to arrange for the two stars to meet during Chan’s marketing event to share details about the film with fans.

Butler had made preparations ahead of time with a pair of his most recent signature shoes, the JB3. The colorway he presented Chan featured a yellow and blue combination, signifying the Warriors’ main color scheme.


The two seemed to form a great connection in their first meeting. That later became evident since they decided to spend more time together. Butler even had the privilege of stepping into Chan’s world.

The martial arts expert began to show Butler the basics of kung fu. One picture caught Butler training with a wooden dummy, while Chan continued to give him pointers.

Following their training session, Chan flipped the script by presenting Butler with a gift. He gave Butler an autographed copy of his autobiography, Never Grow Up. The Warriors star accepted the gift with a big smile on his face.

Butler had one more gift to express his thanks to Chan. He brought out a personalized Golden State Warriors jersey featuring the actor’s last name and his own number 10.


It may seem that Butler won’t be able to take what he learned from Chan to the basketball court, but that isn’t the case. Although the two may seem extremely different, they do share some similar principles.

Both sports highlight the importance of body control and balance. Kung fu also emphasizes the importance of masterful footwork. Butler already is one of the best in the league in that department. If he were to improve his footwork even more, that would be a dangerous sight for the rest of the NBA.

Post Edited By: Smrutisnat Jena
Jackie Chan Jimmy Butler

About the author

Nickeem Khan

Nickeem Khan is a Senior NBA Writer for The SportsRush from Toronto, Canada. He graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Media. Nickeem has over five years of experience in the sports media industry with hands-on experience as a journalist among other roles, including media accreditation for the CEBL, NBA G-League's Raptors 905, and CBC's coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. When he isn't writing articles, he serves as a member of the Toronto Raptors' Game Presentation Crew.

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