Jimmy Butler has a long track record of using other sports to sharpen his basketball skills, and padel is his latest obsession. The Golden State player first linked up with Reserve Padel founder Wayne Boich after moving to Miami and quickly became a visible ambassador for the game. Butler has been playing padel regularly and helping promote big events that marry elite competition with celebrity culture, and his public enthusiasm has pushed padel into new markets in the United States and Europe.
Butler says the work around padel is more than leisure; it is deliberate cross training that complements his NBA life. He has been involved in organizing showcase tournaments and exhibition nights that drew top pros and high profile guests, and those events also put real money into the sport. As Butler balances NBA preparation with business ventures and charity work, padel has become a vehicle for athletic growth and community investment that he views as smart and practical.
CNBC Television ran a segment in which Butler explained why he considers his contribution to the sport an investment of time as much as money. “For me, my investment is a lot about the time, and for me, I also get to learn about these guys. I get to work with my Spanish too, but I get to be better on the basketball court because of this, I mean it. Now hear me out. I like to play so many different sports to train for whatever upcoming season. This is another one. So I would like to say that my biggest investment is I kind of get to get better at basketball throughout this entire thing for myself”.
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The video also had Butler break down the athletic payoff in plain terms. “Coordination, reflexes, being able to pivot when the ball comes off the wall. All the movement, all the conditioning that you do. Like seeing these guys work up a sweat. It is. It’s super incredible. I don’t know if I have that in me to do it for that many straight sets. I won’t lie to you, but it looks exhausting and it can definitely help on the basketball floor, I promise you.”
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