What Erik Spoelstra told Steve Kerr about Jimmy Butler after trade – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

Regardless of some concern about how Jimmy Butler would match into the Warriors’ tradition, coach Steve Kerr’s thoughts was relaxed.

That is as a result of his good buddy and longtime Miami Warmth coach Erik Spoelstra reassured him earlier than Golden State acquired the six-time NBA All-Star on the February commerce deadline.

“Erik Spoelstra told me immediately, ‘He’s going to be great for you.’ And I know Spo really well from the last couple of summers and I trust him,” Kerr instructed Tim Kawakami on “The TK Show.” “I believed him and he was proper. Inside a few days of his arrival, Jimmy was really easy to talk with.

“He reminded me of Andre [Iguodala] with the basketball intellect, but also the interest in the world perspective and the maturity. It was really fun to get to know Jimmy right away and to see the impact he had on our team and our locker room.”

There was loads of chatter about Butler’s locker room slot in Golden State for the reason that veteran ahead’s relationship along with his earlier staff, the Warmth, and notably staff president Pat Riley, soured.

Issues received so dangerous that Butler was suspended a number of instances by Miami after lacking a staff flight, strolling out of a shootaround, and different actions deemed as “detrimental” to the staff. And provided that it wasn’t the primary time Butler left a staff on dangerous phrases, there have been affordable worries for the Warriors.

However these considerations instantly have been put to relaxation upon Butler’s arrival, as his influence fairly actually did the other as he offered a rejuvenated vitality to Golden State each on and off the ground. His relationship with Buddy Hield particularly warmed the hearts of Dub Nation.

“He was an absolute dream,” Kerr stated. “I know everything that happened in Miami would not have suggested that, but I can only base Jimmy’s impact and his personality and all that stuff on my experience. And he was the model citizen. Just an amazing guy to coach these last few months.”

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