Jimmy Butler Honors His Father by Wearing ‘Butler III’ on His Jersey on Warriors Debut

Jimmy Butler’s Warriors debut was special in many ways. He had a great game, helped his new team to a 21-point win, and debuted a new-look jersey. Butler was seen wearing a #10 jersey with “Butler III” written on the back. At the post-game presser, the forward revealed the reason behind this name change.

The six-time All-Star explained that the new nameplate “Butler III” is to honor the memories of his father who passed away last year. Butler’s debut was on the one-year anniversary of his father’s death and it’s a great way for him to honor his old man.

He said, “It’s actually a year today of the passing of my father. So, this was big for me to change it, and realize that I am his son. I’m very grateful. That’s why I’m Butler III.”

Butler was abandoned by his father as a child. His mother raised him until he was 13, before kicking him out of the house. So this decision is also about reconnecting with his family’s lineage.

The change in the number on Butler’s jersey was influenced by some of the people he looks up to. In a video uploaded by the NBA’s official X account, the forward can be seen explaining the reason behind his new jersey number. He said, “Marqueese Grayson, Neymar Jr., Paul Pogba, and Jimmy Butler III.”

Grayson is Butler’s first cousin who used to play basketball for the University of Central Oklahoma. Soccer legends Neymar Jr. and Pogba are good friends of the 35-year-old.

Butler is coming off a turbulent month because of the contract issues he had with his former franchise. He also had a personal struggle to deal with last year due to his father’s health and demise.

Father’s death made a big impact on Jimmy Butler

Butler’s media persona is of someone who likes to have fun, joke around and doesn’t take himself very seriously. Fans got to witness a different side of him through the Netflix series “Starting 5” which featured Butler alongside four other NBA stars.

Episodes five and six of the series revealed details about Butler’s father’s terminal illness and passing away. The 35-year-old said, “When you lose somebody who’s that dear to you and that’s taught you so much, that has seen you grow from a kid to a young adult to a star to the man that I am today as a father and then all of a sudden he’s not there anymore, I didn’t know what to do.”

The forward said that despite having all the money in the world, he can’t bring his father back. Instances like that help put the true meaning of life in perspective. Butler’s decision to honor his father’s name through his jersey shows that he took a lesson from that tragic time in his life.