Jimmy Butler is an avid dominoes player. It is an off-court passion of his, which he said he excels at and something he enjoys sharing with his teammates, including Stephen Curry.
The Marquette product recently invited his Golden State Warriors teammates to his house in San Diego for some bonding ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, which tips off in less than two weeks. It included playing dominoes, where he shared that he and Curry dominated as a team.
Butler revealed on the “Dubs Talk” podcast that he was amazed at how Curry’s domino game has developed well in just a short time. He, however, took credit for it, saying he showed the ropes to his superstar teammate.
“He picked it up at my house. And now he’s like he’s sick like that, though, when you teach him something, like everybody else on his roster, like they’re like, ‘I want to be the best. I want to be the best.’ So you taught him he made a couple mistakes and then you could see his, the wheels were turning. He was like, ‘I get it,’ and then it was, it was a wrap for everybody,” Butler said.
More than a game for Butler
Butler views dominoes as more than just a game. It is a huge part of who he is as a person and as a basketball player, using it to enhance his skills in strategizing and as a recovery tool following games.
He touts that his skills in dominoes are far better than those in basketball and considers himself one of the best at it.
The game also holds a personal connection for Butler, as he learned it from his late father, who taught him, through dominoes, not to settle for the cards you are dealt in life and instead try to find ways to come out a winner each time. They also had their special bonding moments while playing the game.
Excited about the new season
Butler is set to play in his second season in Golden State after joining the Warriors midway through last campaign via a trade from the Miami Heat. He said he is upbeat about their campaign this time around and highlighted that he enjoys playing in the Bay Area.
“I love where I’m at right now. I don’t think I could be in a better place organization-wise, team-wise, headspace-wise. Uh, when I say I’m genuinely happy, like I’m really, really, really happy right now,” he said.
Butler played 30 games for the Warriors last season, averaging 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.7 steals. He helped the team reach the Western Conference semifinals, but an injury to Curry made it tough to get past the Minnesota Timberwolves as they lost four games to one.
Banking on the added bonding they had in the offseason and in the lead-up, Butler and the Warriors are looking to exceed what they achieved in their last campaign.
Apart from the core of Curry, Butler and Draymond Green, the team signed a new contract with Jonathan Kuminga. They also kept Buddy Hield, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Quinten Post while adding veteran presence in Al Horford, Seth Curry and De’Anthony Melton.
Overall, the roster looks good on paper. Now it’s all about building chemistry, and dominoes should help the Warriors with that.