Mike Conley Vehemently Condemns Jimmy Butler-Timberwolves Drama

The NBA playoffs are certainly never devoid of drama, and the next series to kick off promises to be one of the most exciting ones to watch. The Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves, on the surface, have no major beef, but the narratives boiling just below make it all the more interesting. Jimmy Butler’s return to Minnesota, Anthony Edwards’ quest to continue his giant-killing ways, and Draymond Green’s beef with Rudy Gobert- all promise to be must-see TV.

However, one of the calmest heads in the series, Mike Conley, took to his pre-game presser to play down the extra narratives in the series, and rather just concentrate on the basketball aspect of it all.

The most talked-about narrative is the fact that Butler hasn’t played an away game in Minnesota for almost 4 years, and Conley set the record straight while talking to the press. Butler’s whole mess with Minnesota happened before Conley got there, so he joked about not having the best idea of what it was like for the team.

But he did acknowledge that it was a huge talking point for the city, combined with the other underlying factors in the series. He said, “I might not have the best appreciation for the whole Jimmy thing, I wasn’t here, but I do know what it means to the city, and Golden State as itself… Draymond and the whole choking people out… It’s exciting, it’s what people want to see.”

Of course, the whole Minnesota-Butler situation becomes a lot more charged when external facts are looked into. Butler hasn’t played in Minnesota since November of 2021, and every time he shows up in street clothes to the arena, fans taunt him with “Where is Jimmy?” chants. True to his personality, he has blown them kisses every time, but fans can’t help but wonder if he’s scared to face his former team, especially now that they’ve become a force to reckon with without him.

Butler’s beef with the Timberwolves started when they were reluctant to pay him back in the 2018 offseason. He then proceeded to take down the team’s starters with their G-League side, trash-talk the entire organisation, and then give Rachel Nichols an interview an hour later. All of this was built on one central theme — Jimmy telling the organisation repeatedly that they couldn’t win without him.

“Y’all think that team can win without me?! I’m him! Pay me! Pay me!” Jimmy was yelling, according to Jeff Teague, who recalled the whole story for his 520 Podcast.

Well, the Wolves are winning now, and Jimmy finds himself walking into a hostile environment. But he seems the least bothered- something that’s also very on brand for him. When the reporters, after the Dubs’ Game 7 win, asked him whether he’s worried about playing up north again, he simply said, “I’m worried about how I’m gonna get my coffee machine to Minnesota and how I’m gonna get my kids there.”

Jimmy Butler has long used humor to downplay tense situations, so this could just be his way of not letting fans know what he has planned for the Timberwolves. What we do know is that no matter what happens in this series, casual fans will be treated to a basketball showcase. Let’s just hope we can get 7 games of this spectacle.