The recent feud between Draymond Green and Steve Kerr sparked a lot of mixed reactions, the most fascinating of which came from Jimmy Butler.
The Golden State Warriors star sparked a raunchy reaction when he saw his teammate and coach get into a heated substitution during Monday’s home win over the Orlando Magic, leading to Green storming out of the huddle and retreating to the locker room.
Asked about the viral moment after Golden State’s Christmas Day home win over the Dallas Mavericks, Butler emphasized that he liked seeing the intensity from both Green and Kerr — perhaps a little too much.
“I like that. You’re all yelling at each other. It kind of turned me on a little bit, I’m not even going to lie,” said Butler, who was just about to contribute 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the win.
“I like that. I like that confrontation. It’s good for us.”
Acquired from the Miami Heat before last season’s trade deadline, the 36-year-old Butler may still be a relative newcomer to the Warriors, but it didn’t take long for him to understand the dynamic between Kerr and his old stars, including the hard-hitting former Defensive Player of the Year.
Adding context to his not-so-safe-for-work soundbite, Butler emphasized that intensity — and occasional conflict — are simply part of a winning culture, especially in the case of a dynasty that won four championships in less than a decade.
“That’s just part of the game,” Butler said. “When you’re together for so long, you’re going to have arguments. It won’t always be quiet, and that’s okay.”
“You have two fierce competitors who have won it together and who want to win all the time. … And when you look at me, I just look up like, ‘Okay, here we go.’ I expect this to happen. That’s okay. We’re getting rid of it.”
Kerr apologized on Wednesday for his role in escalating the arguments, and also revealed that he and Green were making amends and were ready to move on from the unfortunate incident.
Green remained in the starting five at Christmas, adding seven points, five rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes.
The Warriors (16-15, eighth in the Western Conference) have won three straight games and begin a three-game road trip in Toronto on December 28.
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