The greatest shooter of all time was freezing cold from the field on Sunday night. Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry struggled against superb defender Amen Thompson, scoring just three points on 1-of-10 shooting– 1-of-8 from 3-point range–  and committing four turnovers in a 106-96 loss versus the visiting Houston Rockets.

Despite recording eight assists, he was unable to effectively dictate the offense. Jimmy Butler has an idea why.

The Warriors' impactful midseason addition felt that Houston's efforts to stifle Curry warranted far more attention than they received from the officiating crew. He did not limit his criticism to just one game, though, claiming that the four-time NBA champion has endured such treatment throughout his prodigious 16-year run in The Association.

“They did a good job of whatever you wanna call it,” Butler said when asked what he thought about how the Rockets guarded Curry, via ClutchPoints. “I've never seen an individual get fouled more than he gets fouled. I think that's astounding.

“It's crazy to say, but he's used to it. It's been happening to him his whole career, and he's found a way through it, around it, under it, whatever you want to call it. It really angers me that he's on my team, and he gets hacked like that.”

Jimmy Butler firmly supports Warriors teammate Stephen Curry

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Butler believes the majority of the uncalled fouls on Curry occur away from the ball. No. 30 is almost as lethal moving around the perimeter as he is when he is firing up 3-pointers.

His elite ability to lose defenders and command open looks places a great burden on those assigned the grueling chore of containing him during a contest. Naturally, many will implement a more hands-on approach.

While Jimmy Butler understands the physical nature of this sport, he wants the whistle to get used more often. Superstars get the benefit of the doubt, but the 35-year-old wing thinks Stephen Curry has had to overcome more officiating-based adversity than any other contemporary top talent.

Whether or not that is true, the 37-year-old point guard has managed to secure himself a special place in NBA history.

Curry, Butler, and the Warriors (46-32) as a group must push through and figure out a way to survive the Western Conference in the 2025 playoffs. They have experienced many chippy exchanges like the one that transpired with the Rockets on Sunday and are surely prepared to bring the intensity down the stretch.