Why Is Jimmy Butler wearing ‘Butler III’ Warriors jersey? Real reason explored

To say that Jimmy Butler has gone through a lot over the past year would be a bit of an understatement.

From the passing of his father to his feud with the Miami Heat and now his trade to the Golden State Warriors, the multi-time All-Star has been quite busy.

That's why, now that he's getting a clean slate in the Bay area, he wants to honor his late father every time he sets foot on the court.

Following his debut with his new team, Butler explained why he started to wear 'Butler III' on the back of his jersey:

"Because I'm the third. It's actually a year today of the passing of my father, so this was big for me to change it, and realize that I'm his son. I'm very grateful. That's why I'm Butler III now," he said.

Jimmy Butler says he's a perfect complement to Stephen Curry

The first returns of the Butler experiment were satisfactory for Steve Kerr's team. The Warriors struggled to keep up with the Chicago Bulls early, but they took a big leap on defense in the second half, dominating and running away with the game down the stretch.

When asked about his new pairing with Stephen Curry, Butler thinks that they are tailor-made for one another:

“They say opposites attract in life. I don’t think I could be a better complement to him and vice versa. In a sense that they’re (the defense) not leaving him ever, probably two people. There’s so much space (with) everyone else, I get the easy job,” he said.

“You talk about killer. You talk about a lion. Somebody that wants to win, that’s going for the kill every time. That’s who he is. That’s who he’s been for a very long time,” he added.

Some analysts aren't so sure about that though. Curry has always played next to a fellow sharpshooter like Klay Thompson or Jordan Poole, and Butler isn't much of a floor-spacer.

He can be a perfect fit on defense, serving in a similar role to the one Andre Iguodala had years ago. He can also take some playmaking duties off Curry's and Draymond Green's shoulders, and he's a high-IQ player who will get to the line almost at will.

Whether he'll end up being what this team needed to make a push remains to be seen, but watching him combine with Curry for 59 points was most definitely encouraging.