The Golden State Warriors got off to a hot start in the 2025-26 NBA regular season with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena, with Jimmy Butler proving a dominant force in the 119-109 victory.
After the game, Butler revealed he has a bet with Draymond Green which could be key to the team's championship hopes. In his post-game press conference, Butler said he has a wager with Green that he would have a better free-throw percentage than star point guard Stephen Curry this season:
Jimmy Butler's bet with Draymond Green could be key to Warriors' season
Butler said he thinks he has a chance to beat Curry's free-throw percentage this season, but when the 2x MVP was asked about the prospect of his fellow veteran star actually achieving the goal, he didn't hesitate in saying, "no chance."
JIMMY: "I've got a bet with Dray that I got to shoot a better FT percentage than (Steph) on our team."
— KNBR (@KNBR) October 22, 2025
Steph Curry had no clue about this bet.
STEPH: "That's the first time I'm hearing of it."
Do you think it's plausible?
STEPH: "No chance." 😂 pic.twitter.com/WiMu062aD8
The whole bet is a little bit tongue-in-cheek obviously, but it is not impossible. Butler went a perfect 16-of-16 from the line in the regular season opener against the Lakers, giving the Golden State offense impetus after missing the final three preseason games. Unfortunately for him, Curry was also a perfect 8-of-8 on his free-throws so he doesn't have an advantage quite yet.
Through his career, Butler has shot 84.4% from the free-throw line while Curry has shot an incredible 91.2%. It would be a tall order for Butler to beat Curry, but perhaps it isn't impossible.
However, if Butler can continue to get to the free-throw line as regularly as he did against Los Angeles, that would be huge for the Warriors going forward. Butler can do it all for Golden State, but his ability to drive to the hoop, draw contact and get to the line is something the Warriors need offensively.
Everyone loves Curry's range from beyond the arc, but the fact that the team has a reliable presence at the rim who can get to the free-throw line adds another dimension to the offense and makes things easier for everyone, giving Curry reason for hope as he enters his final chapter with the Warriors.
Getting to the free-throw line might not as sexy as Curry putting up a shot from near mid-court, but if the Warriors are going to have success this year, Butler spending a lot of time shooting free-throws is going to be a big part of it.
Even if it is a tall order for Butler to eclipse Curry's impressive free-throw percentage, having the 6x All-Star relentlessly getting to the line and being efficient will make the Warriors an incredibly dangerous team this season.