Injured Warriors guard Jimmy Butler dresses up as member of coaching staff for game with Pelicans

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sometime before tipoff Monday night, Jimmy Butler stopped in Golden State's equipment room and inquired about wearing the same uniform as the Warriors coaching staff for a game against New Orleans.

They had the sweater in his size and one to spare, and he surprised everybody with his attire. The injured guard got his hands on a clipboard, too.

Coach Butler wrote one important message on it: “PASS TO STEPH.”

And Curry scored 25 points in the 138-87 victory that gave Golden State an eight-game winning streak, so perhaps it will be considered pure genius.

In fact, coach Steve Kerr had already thought of it but didn't know Butler would pull it off — such a big change from Butler’s typical bold and loud attire on the bench.

“It was funny because I don't know how this happened but I told (assistant coach) Khalid (Robinson) about five minutes before the game, I told Khalid ‘one of these days we should have Jimmy dress up like us,' ‘cuz he’s always got some great outfit on and 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?’ and he goes, ‘No.’ It was I guess mental telepathy or something. We're on the same page on that. He was enjoying himself.”

Butler caught rookie Yaxel Lendeborg off guard.

Lendeborg went looking for associate head coach Frank Vogel to ask a question during the first timeout when he saw Butler and asked him what he was wearing.

“I didn't realize that all the coaches wore the same thing until today, which is weird because I see them every single day,” Lendeborg said. “It was kind of funny just in the moment. He was on the bench joking around the whole time, grabbing Melt (De'Anthony Melton) by the jersey, talking about get the ball to Steph. It's real funny being able to have that kind of character and attitude on the court or on the bench. It was nice to see that.”

Lendeborg has appreciated Butler's wisdom while he recovers from surgery in February on his right knee for a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

"For me especially he's always just giving me little tips and tricks on the court.

But in this case the message was simple: “Just give the ball to Steph, that's the most serious thing he said,” Lendeborg said with a grin.

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