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SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors had an extra assistant coach sitting on the bench during Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans: injured superstar Jimmy Butler.

The 37-year-old, who continues to rehab a torn ACL injury in his right knee, didn’t just sit with his teammates during games at Chase Center — he took his position to the next level by wearing the same gray Warriors sweater and black pants that the rest of the coaching staff wore.

Butler, who sat next to Warriors star Stephen Curry for a portion of the second quarter, kept a coach’s clipboard in his lap while offering advice and encouragement to his teammates throughout the night. Butler has acknowledged how difficult it has been to be at a game and not be able to help his teammates since suffering the injury in January.

“Very difficult,” Butler told The Athletic recently. “It’s vastly different — because when I’m watching it on TV, I’m like, there ain’t s— I can do. I can’t hop through the TV and get there. But my jersey is hanging up in my locker, so whenever I’m there I’m like, ‘S—, I could put my jersey on. I could go out there.’ On TV, I’m kind of like I can hug and kiss the TV, wish I was there with you guys, but when I’m there I’m like, man …”

Butler did his part on Monday, which included holding up a special message that he wrote out for his teammates to see when they subbed out of the game. It was short and to the point in all caps: “PASS TO STEPH.”

“He was really acting the part,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said with a smile. “But I also realized he was mocking us.”

Butler kept his teammates’ spirits high and the vibe on the bench loose with his decision to go into coaching before the game, surprising both his teammates and Kerr in the process.

“During the first time out, I’m walking by, and I’m going to ask (assistant) coach Frank (Vogel) a question, and then, I see Jimmy, and I’m like ‘What are you wearing?’” Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg said. “I didn’t realize that all the coaches wore the same thing until today, which is weird because I see them every single day. It was kind of money to see the moment. And then, he was on the bench the whole time grabbing (De’Anthony Melton) by his jersey, talking about, ‘Give the ball to Steph.’”

Lendeborg smiled as he noted that he “didn’t learn anything” from Butler, except to give the ball to Curry.

Why did Butler, who has been doing his pregame workouts in the same full jersey that the rest of his teammates wear to play in, decide to don the coaching attire during Monday’s game? Nobody is quite sure, but Kerr said he was hoping Butler would don the coaching uniform at some point this season. He said he told assistant coach Khalid Robinson about five minutes before the game that the Warriors should get Butler to dress like the staff one day this season. Then it happened.

Q: "What did you learn most from "Coach" Jimmy?"

YAXEL: "I didn't learn anything… I learned once you're on the court with Steph, give Steph the ball." 😂 https://t.co/KMnyfbpAmX pic.twitter.com/ZbWE0x55wP

— NBA (@NBA) November 10, 2026

“I told Khalid one of these days we should have Jimmy dress up like us,” Kerr said. “He’s always got some great outfit on, something fashionable, and we wear our quarter zips and sweaters. I said we should really get him to dress like a coach one day. And then he walks out, and he’s dressed like us. I turned to Khalid. I said, ‘Did you tell him to do that?’ “He goes, ‘No, I swear.’” So, it was mental telepathy or something — we were on the same page. He was enjoying himself immensely.”

As Curry made his way to the shower late Monday night, he was asked for his opinion about Butler’s message on the board to get him the ball more. He had the perfect answer.

“That’s good coaching,” Curry said.

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