"I'm No Longer a Rookie, Everything Was New!" Butler Candid on European Adaptation and Zvezda's New Signings: Serious Players Have Arrived!

Pulse Sports Team 14:07 - 20 September 2026

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet basketball player Jared Butler spoke about adapting to European basketball and his goals for the upcoming season.

It's clear he'll be at the heart of everything. Jared Butler is now entering a new season with no unknowns and no reservations. This is the guy around whom much of Crvena Zvezda's play will revolve next year. Jared Butler is a player who can do everything offensively, and he doesn't hide his satisfaction with being at Zvezda.

We have some new faces, some new reinforcements, and I think we have a really good team, with a lot of depth and experience, so I think it will be good. - Jared Butler

It took Butler a little time to get used to everything, but now he already feels like a veteran.

When I first arrived, everything was new to me, literally everything, from where I lived to my teammates. It was a lot of adjustment for me, and a lot was happening, but I felt that basketball was the most fun part. I was extremely sad when the season ended because I simply love to play. - Jared Butler

He prepared for the new season at Baylor University, where new facilities were built, which Butler himself tested.

Baylor holds a special place in my heart. There were also some guys there who built that program and who mean a lot to it. They have new facilities, I saw my old coach, and it was great. - Jared Butler

Among them was Quincy Acy, a former NBA star who also played for Maccabi and Olympiacos.

Yes, he's still dunking! It was phenomenal to see. He was there, everyone was there, Tweety Carter, everyone... And Freddie Gillespie was there... - Jared Butler

Butler is aiming for the top, and he doesn't hide it.

We have a team for the Final Four, and that's what I believe this team can achieve, so that's how I approach it. - Jared Butler

Zvezda's backcourt is a blend of experience and youth, and Butler believes it will be the decisive factor.

I think so. We are extremely deep, extremely talented, we have guys who can play with and without the ball, and I think that's really, really good. - Jared Butler