- Andre Iguodala compared Jimmy Butler’s mentality to that of Kobe Bryant
- Iguodala feels Butler is the closest he has seen to Bryant in that regard
- Iguodala and Butler were teammates for two seasons on the Heat
Jimmy Butler’s mentality is the closest that Andre Iguodala has seen to the late great Kobe Bryant’s. During an appearance on Gil’s Arena, Iguodala heaped praise on Butler for his mentality and will to win.
“Because you always look back and say, how is Jimmy getting it done,” Iguodala said. He can’t shoot threes, he can’t go left. Whatever they say about Jimmy, he figured it out. I seen him dribble with his right hand left and pull up for a three against Milwaukee (Bucks) this year. He was going crazy.
“He’s probably the closest that I’ve seen to Kobe Bryant with that mentality of just man, Jimmy will figure out a way for us to win,” Iguodala added. “I’ve never seen a will like that. I’m like this dude got a Kobe Bryant will. A will to him to win.”
It is important to be clear here that Iguodala is only comparing their mentality. He isn’t saying that Butler is on the same level as Kobe or is close to him as a player. Butler just has a bit of that Mamba Mentality that is spoken about so often.
That mindset is what has helped Butler lead unfancied Miami Heat squads to two NBA Finals in the last four seasons. The 33-year-old doesn’t have a championship to show for his efforts, but there’s no denying that not many NBA stars would have had the level of success the six-time All-Star has had with that group of players.
Iguodala got to see some of that first-hand during his two seasons with the Heat from 2019 to 2021. Butler led the Heat to the Finals in 2020 and his performance in Game 5 against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers back then was one that will continue to live long in the memory of basketball fans.
Jimmy Butler Was Magnificent Against The Bucks
Iguodala mentioned Butler’s displays against the Milwaukee Bucks in these past playoffs, and that was him arguably at his devastating best. He made a mockery of the Bucks’ defense, finishing the series with averages of 37.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game.
In Game 4 of that series, he erupted for 56 points, and Charles Barkley called it the greatest playoff performance he had seen since he’s been on television. Gabe Vincent saw Butler going crazy first-hand and was in awe of him. Vincent stated the team was just telling Butler to carry them against the Bucks, and he did just that, as he sent Milwaukee packing in five games.
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