Jimmy Butler was never going to leave Minnesota without a parting shot. The guard, now out in Philly having fun after finally getting the trade he wanted so badly, was still in the mood to throw some shade at his former teammates after his victorious home debut.
Butler looks a great fit in Brett Brown's 76ers side so far and seems to be enjoying playing alongside his new colleagues while clearly relieved to have waved goodbye to his old ones.
After scoring 28 points against the Utah Jazz on Friday night the shooting guard seemed to take a dig at his former Timberwolves teammates.
RELATED: TIMBERWOLVES OWNER NOT HAPPY WITH HOS LONG IT TOOK TEAM TO TRADE JIMMY BUTLER
“We did what we’re supposed to do. It’s so fun to win,” he told NBC Sports Philly's Serena Winters at courtside after the game. “It’s so much more fun to play with these guys.
“Everybody wants to win. And when somebody messes up, you talk to them, they don’t take it personal and they do their job. I think everybody is such a good basketball player, and we all want to do right, that sometimes we mess up.”
It's no secret Butler doesn't think very highly of his former colleagues in Minnesota, especially not after beating them with third stringers during a preseason scrimmage session in which he tossed vitriol as and when he pleased, taking shots at teammates, management and the coaching staff.
The player demanded to be traded on more than one occasion. But Tom Thibodeau tried as best he could to keep him in Minneapolis. Ultimately, he was sent to Philadelphia along with Justin Patton in exchange for Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless, and a second-round pick.
What This Means
Butler probably had no intention of having a go at Minnesota in such a way, but that would be very hard to argue.
Whether he meant to or not hardly matters right now. Both teams - minus Thibodeau - should be happy with the players they've pulled from the trade. But, of course, Philly's likely going to be the side that achieves more.