Jimmy Butler’s Surprising Ritual That Could Change the Warriors’ Game Forever

Jimmy Butler is gearing up for his 15th NBA campaign — but here’s the kicker: he’s not just hitting the hardwood; he’s hitting the padel court, too. This rapidly rising racquet sport, a fascinating mashup of tennis and squash, has captured Butler’s off-season focus in a way that’s more strategic than you might expect. As the honorary chairman of Reserve Padel’s Reserve Cup in Spain, Butler is diving headfirst into this game — but it’s not just for fun. He’s serious about how padel’s quick reflexes, sharp hand-eye coordination, and relentless movement are sharpening his basketball acumen. It’s a clever move for a guy who revitalized the Warriors’ playoff dreams last season and now wants to double down on his impact in Golden State. At 36, Butler’s playing it smart, cautiously pushing himself without risking injury — all while dreaming of someday topping the padel ranks. With the NBA season opener looming, that steely mindset forged on the padel court might just translate into magic on the hardwood. LEARN MORE

Jimmy Butler is locked in and preparing for his 15th NBA season, but not the way you might think.

The Warriors star recently got involved in the rapidly growing sport of padel, a racquet sport played by two or four people on an enclosed court that combines elements of tennis and squash. Butler is Reserve Padel’s honorary chairman of the Reserve Cup, which is an annual padel tournament in Spain.

But Butler’s involvement in the sport isn’t solely for entertainment purposes during the NBA offseason, as he explained how padel actually is helping him become a better basketball player.

“I get to be better on the basketball court because of this, I mean it,” Butler said Friday during an interview on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” from Spain. “Now hear me out: I like to play so many different sports to train for whatever upcoming season. This is another one. So I would like to say that my biggest investment is I kind of get to get better at basketball throughout this entire thing for myself.”

Interesting.

Butler was traded to the Warriors at this past February’s NBA trade deadline, and in 30 games with Golden State, he averaged 17.9 points on 47.6 percent shooting from the field, with 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.7 steals in 32.7 minutes.

It’s also no secret that Butler revived the Warriors’ postseason hopes, as the team posted a 23-7 record with the six-time NBA All-Star in the lineup.

But now he’s doing every little thing he can to commit to the Warriors in his first full season with the organization, which apparently includes padel, as he further explained how the sport could help improve his hoop skills.

“Hand-eye coordination, reflexes, being able to pivot when a ball comes off the wall,” Butler said. “All the movement. All the conditioning you do. Seeing these guys work up a sweat, it’s super incredible. I don’t know if I have it in me to do it for that many straight sets, I won’t lie to you. But it looks exhausting and it can definitely help on a basketball floor, I promise you.”

[embedded content]

Getting involved in any physical extracurricular activity always poses the risk of potential injury.

And at age 36, Butler can’t take that risk as the Warriors are trying to go all in on their win-now mantra.

But Butler is taking appropriate precautions with padel.

“Yeah, of course. I’m not going super hard,” Butler explained. “I don’t know the ins and outs of the game like these pros that I get the opportunity to be around. Yes, I do play, but I’m not going all out. I’m not trying to hit the ball out of the arena. I’m not trying to run outside and hit it back in.

“But I do like to pretend I’m a pro. I would like to think that sometime soon, I’m going to be ranked No. 1 in the world.”

The Warriors will need that confident mindset to translate from the padel court to the hardwood with the 2025-26 NBA season opener just about one month away.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast