Jimmy Butler was delighted with the link-up he had with Stephen Curry during his Golden State Warriors debut on Saturday, highlighting how well they complemented each other. (More Sports News)
In his first game for the Warriors, Butler scored 25 points in a 132-111 win over the Chicago Bulls, where he started his professional career, while Curry finished with 34.
Butler, who made the move from the Miami Heat having been suspended three times since the start of January, also made 7-of-12 shots and got to the foul line 13 times in 29 minutes as he helped Golden State overturn a 24-point deficit.
His 25 points are the most he has ever scored in a debut for a new team and the most by a Warrior in his first game since Kevin Durant in 2016.
Asked, in particular, how it felt to link up with Curry for the first time, Butler said: "They say opposites attract in a lot of ways in life.
"I don't think I could be a better complement to him and vice versa, in the sense that they're not leaving him [open on the 3-point line] ever, probably two people would never leave him.
"So, there's so much space for everybody else, and I get the easy job. I'm playing one-on-one or playing with so much space. Everybody's looking for him or looking to get him open, and at the same time, he's looking for everybody else. It's so great to play with somebody like that."
Curry made 8-of-16 3-pointers, while Butler took just one attempt from beyond the arc. However, the latter made 11-of-13 from the foul line, while Curry only went to it eight times.
"He's like the exact opposite player of me, which is funny," Curry said of Butler.
"I shoot 16 3s, he shot one. He got to the free-throw line a lot. He dominated the paint; I dominated the perimeter. Guys working around us, it has the potential to be really fun."
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, is excited to see what else Butler will bring to the team after making such a positive start.
"Pretty fun having Jimmy on our team," Kerr said. "He's an amazing player.
"The ability to get fouled, it settles the game for us. But I'm most impressed with his passing. I just think his passing changes everything, connects the game, and he does it from anywhere.
"It goes beyond that; it's his presence out there. He's a lion. He is a force."
