A healthy Kawhi Leonard ranks amongst the Top 3 players in the NBA. Similarly, a contented Jimmy Butler III makes him the cherry on top of the NBA cake. When the playoffs arrive, he’s locked in, and we saw some glimpses in Game 4 between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets.
The Warriors held their nerve to close out Game 4 with a 109-106 victory over the Rockets and look to close out the series in Houston. One man who shone throughout the night was Butler, who once again shut his naysayers up.
After the game, he appeared with NBA reporter Allie LaForce to discuss his mentality heading to this penultimate game.
Jimmy Butler III Gets His ‘Joy’ Back After Tough Times
Speaking joyously to LaForce, Butler said, “It means the world. I’m down with these guys. It’s so fun. I got my joy back, as some would say.” It looked like a cheeky dig at his former employers, the Miami Heat.
“I got my joy back, as some would say” 😆
Jimmy had jokes as he caught up with @ALaForce after the @warriors win in Game 4 🙌 pic.twitter.com/PpCsJ7aE4L
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 29, 2025
After he led the Heat to two NBA finals in 2020 and 2023, the team suspended him for “conduct detrimental to the team.” The player requested a trade to his former employers, and he missed multiple games because of the suspension. The situation escalated to the point that Butler remarked on wanting to find his “joy” back after the Heat lost to the Indiana Pacers in the regular season.
The team president, Pat Riley, is no stranger to cutting loose and running a tight ship in Miami. Players like Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, and Alonzo Mourning left at some point in their careers, as Butler gets to the list.
Aiming to win his 1st NBA title, Butler looks locked in as he mentioned, “Ah man, somebody said something to me. That’s all it takes. Somebody to say something to me gets me going every single time.”
‘Playoffs Jimmy’ in Full Flow for Game 4
Doubts regarding his fitness came into play as Butler went in, all guns loaded for Game 4. In Game 1, he scored 25 points and took home the victory. However, he suffered an injury in Game 2, left the court, and missed Game 3.
However, Butler recovered after the initial doubts, scored 27 points for the Warriors in Game 4, and grabbed five rebounds, one a crucial one at the end when Alperen Şengün missed his chance to give the Rockets a lead.
To make matters worse for the Rockets, fouling him wasn’t a brilliant plan, as he drained 12-12 free throws to give his side a victory. The player looked confident and mentioned to LaForce how he believed in this team in the courtside interview.
If they close out the next game, the Warriors meet the winners of the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves game, with a matchup between Butler and Anthony Edwards on the cards.
Two players who love trash-talking, ‘Playoffs Jimmy,’ could catch Edwards by surprise. Yet, the series is not done and dusted as they head to Game 5 in Houston.