Jimmy Butler’s’ bad bet: That he can shoot a higher free throw percentage than Stephen Curry

LOS ANGELES — We’ve all made a bad bet with a friend, one we knew we shouldn’t make at the time but our ego or something else forced us to.

Jimmy Butler is just like us.

After the Warriors’ impressive opening night win against the Lakers, where Butler getting to the line and going 16-of-16 from the stripe was key, he was asked what percentage he wants to shoot on free throws this season.

“I got a bet with — I don’t think it’s a bad bet, but it’s kind of a bad bet — with Dre that I got to shoot a better percentage than number 30 on our team,” Butler said.

That elicited a shocked “ohh” from the assembled media. Does he think he can do it?

“Of course, I think I can,” Butler said.

He was told he’d probably have to shoot 91-92%, Stephen Curry is a career 91.2% shooter from the stripe.

“I’m gonna have to,” Butler responded. “It’s a great start, but I shot double the amount that he did, too. So I think I can do it. If he go 8-for-8 [which Curry did], I should be able to go 16-for-16, most nights, every night.”

Butler is an outstanding free-throw shooter, a career 84.4% from the stripe. Thing is, Curry is the best shooter who ever lived and if you let him stand 15 feet from the basket unguarded, he doesn’t really miss.

Consider this a reminder never to make a bet you’re not willing to pay off.