Why Warriors’ Butler deems infamous ‘Playoff Jimmy’ nickname a facade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Warriors star Jimmy Butler deemed his iconic “Playoff Jimmy” nickname a facade.
ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk wrote an exclusive feature on Golden State’s championship aspirations and shared an interesting quote from Butler about his moniker.
“Man, I think it’s a facade that people have created over the years,” Butler told ESPN of “Playoff Jimmy.” “I know what I’m capable of. I can tell you that. And I love it because everybody thinks I just take it up a notch, and I don’t really just take it up a notch. I just might have the ball a little bit more. I might be a tad more aggressive, looking to score.
“[But] you’re talking about somebody that’s going to do anything to f–ing win. That’s some motherf—er right there. The person that they deemed as [Playoff Jimmy], he’ll die out there. He really will. It’s scary. He really will die out there.”
Facade or not, Butler is a different beast in the NBA playoffs.
He has solid career regular-season averages of 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists over 869 games. But over 121 career playoff games, Butler has averaged 21.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists, and truly earned the “Playoff Jimmy” name after averaging 24.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 64 playoff games with his former team, the Miami Heat.
And when Butler says he would “die out there,” he isn’t kidding around. He has played roughly 40 minutes per game over his entire 121-game postseason career and has played 48-plus minutes in seven playoff games.
So, Butler might say his nickname is a “facade,” inspired by an increase in usage, but the uptick in his tenacity is noticeable on and off the stat sheet.
And for that reason, the Warriors can’t wait to have Butler, who missed Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round series against the Houston Rockets with a left pelvic contusion, back during Golden State’s 2025 NBA playoff run, expectedly for Game 4 on Monday night at Chase Center.
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Why Warriors’ Butler deems infamous ‘Playoff Jimmy’ nickname a facade
Warriors star Jimmy Butler deemed his iconic “Playoff Jimmy” nickname a facade.
ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk wrote an exclusive feature on Golden State’s championship aspirations and shared an interesting quote from Butler about his moniker.
“Man, I think it’s a facade that people have created over the years,” Butler told ESPN of “Playoff Jimmy.” “I know what I’m capable of. I can tell you that. And I love it because everybody thinks I just take it up a notch, and I don’t really just take it up a notch. I just might have the ball a little bit more. I might be a tad more aggressive, looking to score.
SIGN UP HERE “[But] you’re talking about somebody that’s going to do anything to f–ing win. That’s some motherf—er right there. The person that they deemed as [Playoff Jimmy], he’ll die out there. He really will. It’s scary. He really will die out there.”
Facade or not, Butler is a different beast in the NBA playoffs.
He has solid career regular-season averages of 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists over 869 games. But over 121 career playoff games, Butler has averaged 21.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists, and truly earned the “Playoff Jimmy” name after averaging 24.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 64 playoff games with his former team, the Miami Heat.
And when Butler says he would “die out there,” he isn’t kidding around. He has played roughly 40 minutes per game over his entire 121-game postseason career and has played 48-plus minutes in seven playoff games.
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So, Butler might say his nickname is a “facade,” inspired by an increase in usage, but the uptick in his tenacity is noticeable on and off the stat sheet.
And for that reason, the Warriors can’t wait to have Butler, who missed Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round series against the Houston Rockets with a left pelvic contusion, back during Golden State’s 2025 NBA playoff run, expectedly for Game 4 on Monday night at Chase Center.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast
