Steve Kerr Shuts Down Dwyane Wade OverJimmy Butler Remark as Private Chat With Heat HC Emerges

It’s safe to say that the Warriors camp has a lot to do this off-season. Steve Kerr had the perfect recipe, especially after the addition of Heat rebel Jimmy Butler in February. But well, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves had different plans. Of course, a lot of that had to do with Stephen Curry’s unfortunate injury. That kinda put Butler in a position where he had to go from the main scorer to the creator, which didn’t go as planned for Steve Kerr. But despite the role change, Dwyane Wade wasn’t pleased with Butler’s performances.

After their 4-1 blowout to the Timberwolves in the semis, Wade said, “Jimmy is a pass-first guy. I know he’s about getting his teammates the ball and wants to see them shine. But it’s a point where you’re getting $60 [million]. This ain’t working. You gotta go… He won’t look at the basket. And I’ve seen this before. I’ve seen it in a Heat jersey. Jimmy Butler’s too good of a basketball player to not have his imprint on the game.”

The former Miami Heat star averaged 20.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game in the series, but it still fell short when it came to getting the job done. Though the numbers he recorded were decent, there was a considerable chunk of people who still felt that the 35-year-old should have been more aggressive on the offense instead of looking for spaces to pass the ball to his teammates. Now pair that with his Game 5 performance, where he had 17 points on just 11 attempts in the series-clinching loss, and the criticism only grew.

Butler managed to cross the 20-point total only twice, and the 30-point mark only once throughout the 5 games. But the opinion probably sparked after the last two games, where he only shot a field goal a combined 20 times. For comparison, he shot 26 from the field in Game 3 alone. So Wade’s argument does hold an ounce of water. But not for Steve Kerr. For the Warriors HC, Butler’s playmaking reminded him of LeBron James at the Cavs from 15 years ago.

Mar 29, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

“It kind of reminds me of like 15 years ago before LeBron won any championships and he was with Cleveland… And he’s passing to open teammates for game-winning shots, and they miss, and then the next day it’s like, didn’t LeBron take the game-winning shot? It’s like, well, because that was the right play, and his teammate got a wide-open look. That’s why. And every player is unique to himself. I think Jimmy is, Jimmy’s an incredible player, but if you want him to score and there’s no spacing around him, which was the case for the last four games of the series without Steph,” Steve Kerr said on The TK Show.

Even after the season-ending loss, Kerr was all praise for the former Heat star and how he impacted the Warriors after signing a two-year extension worth $121 million. He said, “Jimmy changed our season. Flipped everything for us, gave us a chance. We became one of the best teams in the league.”

The Bron-Jimmy Butler similarities don’t just end at their playstyles. They were both heroes at The Magic City in different eras. Just that the King’s time coincided with two championships, compared to Butler’s none. This and many other factors forced Buckets to rebel and leave the Heat for the Warriors. And it left a sour taste in all of the Heat’s camp, except their HC Erik Spoelstra, who had nothing but love for their former hero.

Erik Spoelstra, full of love and respect for Jimmy Butler, says Steve Kerr

It’s almost as if Jimmy Butler‘s legacy is tarnished by his rebellious nature. During the sunset of his time in Miami, he downed tools and refused to play to force a move. And what did that result in? Multiple suspensions over missing team flights, and the fans were calling for his head on a stick on his return. Well, the fans might’ve felt that way. But Spoelstra had nothing but kind words for their golden boy when he was on his way to the Golden State.

“Erik Spoelstra told me immediately, he said he’s going to be great for you,” the 59-year-old said. “And I know Spo really well from the last couple of summers, and I trust him. I believed him, and he was right. Jimmy was so easy to speak with. He reminded me again of Andre [Iguodala]- just the basketball intellect, but also the interest in the world and perspective and the maturity. It was really fun to get to know Jimmy right away and to see the impact he had on our team and our locker room.”

The current Heat HC was Kerr’s right-hand man during their 2024 Olympics run for the Gold. They coached the national team together for about three years, giving the two enough time to confide and trust each other’s words. So when the 54-year-old spoke, Kerr listened. And the rest is history.

Apr 13, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) looks on against the LA Clippers as overtime expires at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

To be honest, Dwyane Wade wasn’t really wrong about what he said. Jimmy Butler is too good to be a creator, and his impact on the game will be far greater if he becomes their spearhead. But Steve Kerr and Eric Spoelstra trust him enough to know that the mature head that the Houston native possesses allows him to be flexible in all tactics.

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