Late in the first half of Game 4 between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, Jimmy Butler had some heated words for Dillon Brooks as Tari Eason stood at the free-throw line. Butler called Brooks “a bum,” “a b***h,” and “weak,” but the Rockets forward just laughed it off, treating the exchange like lighthearted trash talk.
In his postgame press conference following the Warriors’ 109-106 win that gave them a 3-1 series edge, Butler made it clear he holds no fondness for Brooks and isn’t interested in pretending otherwise.
“Get me on record for this: I don’t like Dillon Brooks. We are never having fun. I’m a fierce competitor. He’s a fierce competitor. But it ain’t nothing fun about that. I don’t think anybody is trying to be friends with anybody on either team. Fun is winning. Fun is competing. It’s gonna be fun when we get four [wins],” said Butler in his post-game interview via 95.7 The Game on X (formerly Twitter).
“Get me on record for this: I don’t like Dillon Brooks. We are never having fun.”
Jimmy Butler III on the back-and-forth with Dillon Brooks that the cameras caught pic.twitter.com/PWBlhg9aXS
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 29, 2025
Jimmy Butler delivered 27 points, five rebounds, and six assists, and knocked down three crucial free throws with 59 seconds left after drawing a foul from Rockets forward Dillon Brooks. The shots gave the Warriors a 107-104 advantage—a lead they held for the rest of the game.
Jimmy Butler and the Warriors history with Dillon Brooks
The Warriors have a past with Dillon Brooks, dating back to the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals when he played for the Memphis Grizzlies. During that series, the one-time All-Defensive forward injured Gary Payton II, sparking a heated media exchange between Steve Kerr and then-Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins. Butler wasn’t on the Warriors back then, but on Monday night, he made his feelings about Brooks crystal clear.
At this point, the most generous thing anyone from the Warriors organization could say about Dillon Brooks is that he’s committed to doing whatever’s necessary to give his team a shot at winning. Brooks has fully embraced his villain role, constantly causing headaches for opponents by being as disruptive and irritating as possible.
The Warriors have dealt with Brooks’ antics before and aren’t taking the bait. As for Jimmy Butler, whatever he said to Brooks at the free-throw line, it was clear he meant every word.
Dillon Brooks is one of the league’s fiercest defenders and can surprise with an explosive scoring performance on any given night. However, his true value lies in his ability to get under his opponents’ skin. Jimmy Butler and the Warriors have managed to avoid giving Brooks the full confrontation his actions seem to invite.
