In a raw and revealing interview with The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler pulled back the curtain on his brief but turbulent stint with the Philadelphia 76ers, offering unfiltered insight into why things never worked out for him in the City of Brotherly Love.
Though his time with the Sixers lasted just a few months during the 2018-19 season, Butler’s lasting impression was clear: a team lacking accountability, leadership, and the mindset needed to truly win.
“You got to be able to talk to everybody. As long as it was in the right direction toward winning, it shouldn’t matter how it comes across. It’s not that there’s malicious intent about it.”
“You had some differences between players and coaches. You had some differences between players and players. And it was just, I mean, you kind of couldn’t talk to nobody.”
That statement alone echoes volumes. In an NBA culture where communication, confrontation, and leadership are vital, Butler’s frustration was not with disagreement—it was with silence.
He saw a locker room that avoided tough conversations, a coaching staff unwilling to challenge its stars, and a general environment where personal sensitivity outweighed team growth. For a competitor like Butler, that was untenable.
The 2019 playoffs were a defining moment for that Sixers team. They were a bounce away—literally—from the Eastern Conference Finals. Kawhi Leonard’s miraculous buzzer-beating shot in Game 7 of the second round sent the Raptors through and sent Philadelphia home.
That team had immense talent: Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, J.J. Redick, and Butler himself. Yet, in the aftermath, the Sixers chose to commit long-term to Harris and Simmons, letting Butler walk to Miami.
It was a decision that changed the course of their franchise—and not for the better.
The very next season in 2020, Butler led the Heat to the NBA Finals inside the Orlando bubble. Meanwhile, the Sixers floundered, finishing 6th in the East and getting swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics. That failure cost Brett Brown his job and ushered in the Doc Rivers era, which also never lived up to expectations.
In 2021, the Sixers had their best shot on paper. They finished with the top seed in the East and looked poised to make a deep run. But again, they faltered—this time at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks in the second round.
Ben Simmons’ refusal to shoot and Joel Embiid’s turnovers in crucial moments were symbolic of a larger issue: a team with no mental toughness when it mattered most. The same issue Butler had identified years earlier.
The following season in 2022, the Simmons saga finally blew up. He sat out, demanding a trade. The Sixers acquired James Harden in a blockbuster midseason deal, only to once again lose to Butler and the Miami Heat in six games in the second round. Embiid and Harden looked overwhelmed, outworked, and outclassed by Butler, who was locked in on a revenge tour.
2022-23 was supposed to be the culmination of “The Process.” Joel Embiid finally won his MVP, and the Sixers had their deepest team in years. Yet, they again collapsed in the second round, this time to the Boston Celtics. Another year, another failed playoff run. Embiid had more quotes than big moments. Harden had more questions than answers. Butler, once again, had receipts.
The following summer in 2023 brought change, but not clarity. James Harden was traded again, Doc Rivers was fired, and Nick Nurse was brought in. Tyrese Maxey blossomed into a star, but injuries once again derailed the season. Embiid, who was in the MVP race before a knee issue, missed a large portion of the campaign. The Sixers stumbled to a 7th-place finish, losing in the first round to the New York Knicks.
Now, in 2024-25, the wheels have completely fallen off. Despite acquiring Paul George in free agency—a massive swing meant to finally get Embiid the co-star he needed—the Sixers are having their worst season in years. At 23-48, they sit 13th in the East. Embiid has been shut down. George is out with injuries. Maxey is doing all he can, but it’s clear: this is a broken team.
And the worst part? Jimmy Butler saw it all coming.
They chose to pay Tobias Harris over Butler, a decision still haunting the franchise. They failed to develop Ben Simmons, then broke him entirely. They mishandled the James Harden situation.
They gave Embiid a supermax contract, locking themselves into a player who—despite his talent—has never proven he can stay healthy or lead a team deep into June. They gave Paul George another massive contract despite his own injury history. They’ve cycled through coaches, stars, systems—and yet, nothing has changed.
There is no culture of accountability. There is no winning DNA. There is just chaos, noise, and unmet expectations and Butler’s comments drive the point home. It wasn’t just about basketball. It was about a mindset.
The Sixers, meanwhile, are once again looking in the mirror wondering what went wrong. And deep down, they probably know.
They let the real leader walk. They let the real dog out of the building. They let Jimmy Butler leave.
And as Butler continues to thrive, his parting words now feel prophetic. In Miami, he thrived. In Golden State, he’s thriving again. In Philadelphia? It was just dysfunction wrapped in delusion.
The Process? It never matured. Because talent without accountability is just wasted potential.
Jimmy Butler knew it all along.
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