Jimmy Butler Makes History of Bridge-Burning Crystal Clear

Jimmy Butler has been called many things throughout his career, most famously the NBA’s ultimate bridge-burner, but the new Golden State Warriors forward insists he’s not lighting matches for fun.

He’s simply enforcing a standard. And that standard has never changed.

“I’m always about winning, winning at all costs,” Butler told NBC Sports Bay Area. “So, when it doesn’t stay about winning, it can become about many different things. If it ain’t about winning, I’m telling y’all right now, I’m not here for it. It’s got to be about winning. Everything we do, it’s got to be about winning.”

Butler’s résumé across Chicago, Minnesota, Philadelphia and Miami is littered with tension, conflict and abrupt exits.

He never flat-out said those teams were complacent, but he didn’t have to. The implication was loud enough. He’s now in Golden State because he sees an organizational obsession that mirrors his own.

General manager Mike Dunleavy explained the February acquisition, telling NBC Sports Bay Area, “We had to get better on the basketball court. But we needed to get better, emotionally. We’d lost our way. And to be able to accomplish those two things, there’s not many players out there that can do that. And I felt like Jimmy was one of those guys.”

Butler, who twice dragged the Heat to the NBA Finals, left Miami after friction with Pat Riley and a contract dispute. Now he’s making it clear: the Warriors’ culture must match the intensity that has defined his entire career.

“If it’s about winning, if it’s about winning it – the championship – I’m all for it,” Butler said. “If it’s not, and there are any other agendas, y’all won’t like it. Because I don’t care. I’m literally just here to win. That’s it. I don’t care about anything else.”

READ MORE: Paul Pierce Says Austin Reaves Is Playing Like a Superstar