One of the most impactful trades of the 2024-25 season was the Golden State Warriors picking up Jimmy Butler, whose partnership with Stephen Curry turned the Dubs from a fringe playoff side into a contender. Since moving to the Bay, Butler has seen firsthand just how loved and popular Curry is, and that is something he envied.
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The move was eye-opening for Butler because he felt he was a star in Chicago, Philadelphia, and even Miami, where he was the face of the franchise. But in Golden State, he was No. 2 behind Curry. The envy was not something he saw in a bad light, though, because the Chef’s popularity is just astronomical. Butler has noticed this, especially heading into his first full season with Curry in 2025.
The 36-year-old baller, who is out for the year with an ACL tear, appeared at the BNP Paribas Tennis Open in Indian Wells, where he was able to sign some autographs for fans. The BNP cameras caught up with him, and Butler was hilariously honest about getting less attention.
“Everybody screaming my name as I’m coming off the practice court. You know what I’m saying? I can get used to that. I play with Steph so it’s hard. They don’t scream my name no more, they always scream Steph’s name. What I’d pay to be Stephen Curry for a day,” chirped JB.
And while Butler was clearly making a joke, the truth is that he is not losing sleep over it either. His desire is to win a ring, not a popularity contest.
Jimmy Butler after signing autographs at the Indian Wells Open:
“Everybody screaming my name as I’m coming off the practice court. You know what I’m saying? I can get used to that. I play with Steph so it’s hard. They don’t scream my name no more, they always scream Steph’s… pic.twitter.com/XEOqIEWCoP
— aly ✶ (@jinthirty) March 9, 2026
That wasn’t his only Curry moment at the event either. Butler saw a fan with a Warriors hat on and made another viral moment. “Look, it’s a Golden State Warriors hat! Who’s your favorite player? Say Steph. I know it. It’s Steph. I knew it,” he joked.
Jimmy Butler spotted someone wearing a Warriors hat at the Indian Wells Open
“Look, it’s a Golden State Warriors hat! Who’s your favorite player? Say Steph. I know it. It’s Steph. I knew it.”
(via @BNPPARIBASOPEN) pic.twitter.com/sfq8z5tcke
— aly ✶ (@jinthirty) March 9, 2026
The great thing about this is not just Butler amusing himself and making good content now that he is out for the season, but that it really just makes him appreciate Steph even more. Buckets has previously referred to himself as the Robin to Steph’s Batman.
That dynamic is exactly why the Warriors brought Butler in. Curry is still the sun that everything revolves around in Golden State, but Jimmy is the kind of player who is fine doing the dirty work if it leads to a banner. The more important goal for him is to get better so he can start causing havoc on the court alongside Steph.
