Revealing Butler's Dream Chasing Relationship: 9 Years Ago, They Were Friends Korzan and the two defended like Jordan + Pippen

On March 26, Beijing time, Butler played his first game against the Heat after being traded to the Warriors. He is once again in the spotlight, and ESPN reveals the friendship between Butler and Dream. After all, considering the personalities of these two, this may be the most worrying relationship for the outside world when Butler joins the Warriors -

Rewind the clock to Feb. 9, the day before Butler made his promotional debut for the Warriors. He boarded the team's first flight with one thing in his luggage: dominoes that he almost never left when he traveled.

This domino carries his fondest memories of his father, Jimmy Butler Sr., who passed away a year ago. His father, a former truck driver, found time to teach his son to play dominoes, although he was on the road all day. His father taught Butler how to play the game, how to always be aware of his surroundings and opponents' small movements, and most importantly, how to be a winner.

"It's funny, because my dad and I used to win money on this," Butler told ESPN, "and we'd play with some adults who bet five dollars...... My father would say, 'Okay, I'll take my son.' And then the others will say, 'Oh man, come on!' What a challenge! We're sure we'll be able to beat you to the ground. Sometimes we lose, but most of the time we win. Butler remembers that his father would reproduce exactly how the dominoes were placed the last time he lost, and then analyze his mistakes.

"His understanding of numbers and dominoes is so amazing," Butler said, "and it's definitely inherited from him, as I am now." I would think, 'How could I possibly remember what I did two hours ago, let alone two weeks ago?' But he would say, 'If you've been watching, that's what you're supposed to do, so we can take control and win.'" ’”

Butler applies these methods to the basketball court, paying attention to opponents' dissatisfaction with coaches or referees, as well as their painful expressions, in order to find information in his favor.

"It all started with the guy who made Jimmy Butler III," the Warriors forward said. After joining the Warriors, he added the suffix "III" to his name and jersey in honor of his deceased father, "Come to think of it, that's how I learned to count from my father." I've come to understand the importance of winning, dominating the game, being the best. I've outdone him in this regard. Before he died, my domino skills were better than his. ”

On this flight, Butler's domino opponent was Dreamcatcher. Dream Chaser has been looking forward to this showdown for a long time. In the month and a half since, the two have played 19 NBA games together and have gradually developed a strong camaraderie with each other.

Since Butler's arrival, the Warriors have a 16-3 record and climbed to sixth place in the Western Conference. The Heat, meanwhile, have a 5-17 post-trade record and just ended their longest 10-game losing streak since 2008.

After a chaotic breakup with the Heat, the six-time All-Star returned to Miami. Not only did Butler breathe life into the Warriors, but he also developed chemistry with Dream Chasers, which could determine how far the Warriors can go this season.

"We're both people who will do anything to win," Butler said of his relationship with Dream, "and he doesn't care about personal accomplishments, he just wants to win championships." I just want to win and nothing else. We will never have conflict...... This is something that is often overlooked. They think we're going to fight, but we don't because we just want to win. ”

Dream Chaser has been waiting for nine years to usher in this domino showdown in the clouds. In 2016, Dream played with Butler for the U.S. men's national basketball team and won a gold medal at the Rio Olympics. At the time, they were playing dominoes, the only game Butler could do.

Butler won the dream in the matchup at the time, and the competitive defender has always been haunted by it. Since then, Dream has played more dominoes and even played against friends online, improving her skills over the past decade.

But Butler is also improving, and Dream says "he's mastered with all kinds of dominoes."

"It's like basketball, you can anticipate the opponent's actions before they make a move," Dream said, "and you can read the situation based on the cards your opponent plays." You'll have to plan your opponents in a difficult position. He's really, really good. ”

After countless team flights and hotel room battles, Dream finally defeated Butler for the first time recently. But the real breakthrough happened between these games of dominoes. The two would have a long, in-depth conversation about their upbringing, about the top 29 teams that abandoned Butler in the 2011 draft, the 35th pick the following year, and how they were misunderstood.

The two laughed a lot as soon as they talked, often forgetting the time, and sometimes even forgetting to eat dinner, until the early hours of the morning to find out that they were about to shoot for drill. Butler said they spent nearly six hours playing dominoes with locals at the "Big Face" coffee shop in Miami on Monday.

"You've heard a lot of stories about Butler," Dream said, "but I've never really heard the full version, just a few of them." So I wanted to use this time to learn about his whole experience. Because Jimmy is like a book that fits together, and no one really understands him. ”

Whether it was about his drama-filled workout with Towns with the Timberwolves or his parting of ways with the Heat, Butler said he didn't care what people thought or evaluated about him.

But he found resonance in Dream Chasing. Dream has also been through its own turmoil, from that punch to Poole in training to an indefinite ban last season for choking Gobert and punching Nurkic in the face.

Butler said he and Dream had received a lot of similar criticism.

"We had a lot in common, like a love for kids, a love for basketball," Butler said, "and we both came from small towns, we all ended up on top-notch college basketball teams, we were all drafted late in the draft, and we overcame a lot of odds to become who we are today." That's what we communicated, and I cherish it. Those who sit on the side and point fingers at Butler, I am tolerant of them. But that's because they don't understand what I'm doing, nobody does. Also, Dream Chaser isn't a jerk. I knew it from the beginning...... I thought to myself, 'Brother, no, you're just a winner, you're an outspoken. People don't like that. ”

In the Warriors' 114-102 win over the Knicks, Butler walked over to reassure his teammates when he saw Dream yelling at a fan at Madison Square Garden. During their long domino battle, Butler has also struggled to learn more about Dreamcatcher.

"If I know what makes you emotional, I know how to calm you down," Butler said, "and I know how to get you turned off." I also know a lot about chasing dreams, so when that guy yells at the fans, I can say, 'Hey, hey, hey, hey, calm down.'" What are we doing here? ''Listen, they can't win us.'' They can't help us win or beat us. We can't leave the result in the hands of the referee. it. ’”

The chemistry between Butler and Dream has been a big factor in the team's recent success. Since Butler's debut, the Warriors have ranked second in the league in defensive efficiency (108.6) behind the Pistons (108.5). Prior to Butler's arrival, the Warriors were ranked 10th in that statistic.

Butler and Warriors coach Kerr said the Warriors made a new discovery in the second half of that game against the Knicks. The Warriors defeated the Knicks 67-47 in the second half and played the offensive and defensive basketball that Kerr has always advocated. Butler dominated possession in the second half, scoring 13 of his 19 points and three of his four assists.

"We had a big turn that night," Butler said, "and everybody said give me the ball and let me play it a certain way...... We found some tricks. When I can do more than just singles, I'm more efficient and harder to defend. ”

The momentary chemistry between the two Warriors players on the defensive end reminded Kerr of when Dream was partnered with Andre Iguodala to win the championship. But on second thought, Kerr likens Dream and Butler to another elite defensive pairing.

"Pippen and Jordan," Kerr said in an interview with ESPN, comparing them to his legendary teammates at the Bulls, "equally possessing incredible basketball IQ, athleticism, and well-roundedness." They do have that feeling in them. ”

In Butler's opening game as a Warriors player, the team came back from 132 to 111 to win over the Chicago Bulls. After the game, Kerr compared Butler's aura and confidence to that of a "lion." Cole said he had heard the description from Dreamcatcher.

"Two lions are better than one," Warriors guard Payton Jr. commented.

Before Curry's pelvis injury, Butler stabilized the situation when Curry wasn't on the court — and the Warriors had a net score of 60 when Curry wasn't on the court. The Warriors have had an assist rate of 74 percent since Feb. 9, the highest in the league during the same period. According to ESPN, this assist rate would be the highest of any team since 1953-54 when converted into a season.

With Butler's arrival, the Warriors have a scorching 7-2 record. With Curry in the locker room due to injury, Butler scored his second triple-double against the Raptors with 16 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds to seal the win. He hasn't reached the "playoff Jimmy" yet, but it was his presence on the inside that created opportunities for his teammates, and his defense (2 steals and 2 blocks) saved the team that night.

"I think it's their ability to disrupt," Knicks coach Thibodeau said when asked about Butler's partnership with Dream. Thibodeau, who coached Butler with the Bulls and Timberwolves, "was very adaptable and very anticipatory...... Dream chasing is special because when he plays center, the team's defense is not compromised. His ability to interpret the game, his ability to anticipate the game, as well as his ability to roam the pitch and interfere with off-ball situations are impressive. Butler is similar to him in many ways. ”

Curry has been looking for another star to take the offensive pressure off his shoulders. Dream Chaser has found another top-tier defensive player who is just as hungry for victory as he is.

"For a team that has dominated the league for years, everybody wants to beat you," Dream said, "and sometimes you just need reinforcements. What you need is not a helper who is obedient, but a support with your own ideas that can create deterrence in the alliance. We need people like that. We're all smart and we're all ruthless to our opponents...... When facing opponents, never be relentless. ”