Coffee connoisseur. Domino don. Coach Jimmy?
Jimmy Butler has no shortage of hobbies and side gigs to keep him busy even while unable to get on the court for the Warriors while rehabbing the ACL he tore in January. He added another Monday night, to the amusement of his Golden State teammates.
At least one of them would prefer to see Butler stick to his dayjob(s), though.
“Man, nah, nah, nah. He gotta go home,” Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton told the NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast following the 138-87 win over the Pelicans. “The next time he do something like that, he gotta go back home or do something else. Because he trippin’.”
Melton was on the receiving end of Butler’s most pointed coaching advice of the night.
Taking his usual seat on the bench, Butler traded in his typically fashion-forward wardrobe for a white pullover and black joggers — the same get-up as Steve Kerr and the rest of the Warriors coaching staff. He also grabbed a clipboard, which came in handy to remind Melton of the golden rule of basketball in Golden State: Pass the ball to Steph Curry.
When Melton checked out midway through the third quarter, Butler spelled it out loud and clear in blue ink on the clipboard and held it up for Melton — and the cameras — to see.
Melton had just violated the one and only edict on two possessions in quick succession. Curry was open on the perimeter but Melton drove to the rim through traffic and failed to convert.
Butler offered him — and the rest of the Warriors — a simple reminder.
“All I learned is once you’re on the court with Steph, give Steph the ball,” rookie Yaxel Lendeborg said of Butler as a tactician. “Just get the ball to Steph. That’s the most serious thing he said.”
Butler gave his teammates no advance notice of his plans for the game. Lendeborg even mistook him for a regular member of the coaching staff at first.
“I think it was during the first timeout. I was walking by, going to ask coach Frank (Vogel) a question and I see Jimmy. Like, what? What are you wearing?” Lendeborg chuckled. “I didn’t realize all the coaches wear the same thing until today.”
Butler’s wardrobe ensured that he would blend right in on the bench.
“I thought he looked great. Really good-looking sweater,” Kerr quipped. “He said all the right things. Team fouls. How many team fouls we had. He was really acting the part. But I also realized he was mocking us, so it hurt a little bit.”
It was all in good fun, but Melton agreed: he preferred Butler on the court than the bench.
“No. Just no,” Melton said with a laugh when asked about Butler’s coaching debut. “I think he just got fired today, which is actually crazy. I’m happy about that.”
