Jimmy Butler isn’t exactly easing old Philadelphia feelings.
The former 76ers star took a direct shot at his old team’s newly reshaped roster in a recent SiriusXM radio appearance, responding to a question about Philadelphia landing both LeBron James and Jaylen Brown this offseason. Butler’s answer was blunt: he said he and the Warriors are going to give them hell whenever the two teams meet.
For a fan base that never fully buried the sting of Butler’s exit, it was the kind of comment that lands hard. Butler had already become a complicated figure in Philadelphia after leaving the franchise the summer after its deep playoff run in 2019, turning what might have been a longer stay into an expensive rental. Now, with his latest remarks, he’s back on the radar for all the wrong reasons.
His timing makes the comment even more notable. Butler is currently out while recovering from the ACL injury he suffered last season, but Golden State has set a return window around January to February.
If that holds, he should be back in uniform by the time the Warriors face the 76ers late in the season. Philadelphia and Golden State are scheduled to play in late March and early April, which would give Butler time to settle back in before those matchups.
Still, the confidence in his message doesn’t quite match the current picture. Butler has never been shy about saying what’s on his mind, but the idea that Golden State would be ready to overwhelm Philadelphia on paper is a tough sell. Nobody knows exactly how the revamped 76ers will look, but the group as currently built appears to have clear advantages in that matchup.
The Warriors, by contrast, would be grateful just to stay in the play-in conversation in the Western Conference. They missed the playoffs last season, their core is another year older, and several important players are dealing with major injuries and other ailments right now.
Philadelphia’s side of the ledger looks much stronger. By adding two Finals MVPs in James and Brown, plus several sought-after role players in free agency, the 76ers extended their championship window and pushed themselves into the top tier of the East, if not the title picture altogether.
That’s why Butler’s challenge feels less like a prediction and more like a dare. The 76ers are already under heavy pressure in a crowded league where every win counts, and they can’t afford to pick and choose when to show up. If anything, Butler just handed them another reason to make sure they do.
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