Jimmy Butler keeps Heat in high regard during Warriors introduction

On Thursday night, Jimmy Butler was officially introduced as a new member of the Golden State Warriors. The blockbuster multi-team trade headlined with Butler moving to the bay, and former All-Star and NBA Champion Andrew Wiggins to the Miami Heat, was made official. 

Butler will rep the No. 10 jersey in his new Warriors threads. To much surprise of the Heat fanbase, Wiggins was given No. 22– last worn by Butler himself. It’s a bold move by Miami to do so, although it is worth noting that Wiggins has worn that same number for the entirety of his NBA career.

Butler’s introductory press conference took place alongside Warriors general manager, and former Chicago Bulls teammate, Mike Dunleavy. He discussed plenty of notable points, including his admiration of Golden State’s winning culture and championship aspirations. 

He displayed some excitement to play with Stephen Curry, and looked happy to begin this new chapter of his career. During the presser, Butler was also asked about his feelings toward the Heat organization and how his divorce from the team went down.

"I don't got too many bad things to say about them,” Butler said. “I have so much respect for that organization, for the people running that organization and for my former teammates. I got a love for a lot of people over there in that organization. And I just want them to know that I am very grateful for the relationships that I have built and will keep for a lifetime."

Of course, he was asked specifically about what made him want to leave the franchise that he once envisioned retiring with:

"Uh, that's a good question. ... I don't know. Maybe it's a lot of talking back and forth and, sooner or later, talking's got to stop.”

"I am happy about [the extension]. I think the biggest part was getting me able to play basketball again," he said. "I felt I was doing cardio the majority of the games. I'm very happy that I am not getting suspended no more."

Ultimately, this was not the ending to Butler’s iconic time with the Heat that everyone involved had hoped for. 

He was a 2X All-Star, 3X All-NBA and All-Defensive talent to go along with a pair of NBA Finals trips in a five-year span in Miami. Additionally, he is an Eastern Conference finals MVP and holds the record for the most points scored in a playoff game in franchise history (56). Butler will go down as arguably a top three Heat player of all-time, while his spirit and drive to win on the highest level brought the organization out of the mud after his 2019 arrival.

In a welcome video that Butler recorded for ‘Dub Nation’, he wasted no time throwing a championship title goal out to his new fanbase. 

Those are some lofty proclaimed expectations that Heat fans know all too well about. And hopefully his history of writing checks that he can’t cash isn’t the case for Golden State. 

For now, Butler’s return to South Beach inside the Kaseya Center on March 25 as a member of the Warriors should be marked on everybody’s calendar.