Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler was helped off the court Monday night after experiencing a season-ending torn right ACL, a significant setback for Golden State despite a 135-112 win over the Miami Heat.
How did Jimmy Butler get injured?
Butler was injured with 7:41 remaining in the third quarter while attempting to catch an entry pass from Brandin Podziemski in the paint and colliding with Heat guard Davion Mitchell, ESPN and CBS Sports reported.
After the collision, Butler landed awkwardly, grabbed his right knee and appeared to be in pain as he remained on the court for several minutes. A few of his teammates had come over and helped him to the locker room, as he was unable to put any weight on his right leg, per reports.
‘This is a part of the journey’
The Warriors shared an update on social media, initially stating that Butler, 36, had a knee injury and would miss the remainder of the game. He had left the arena to get an MRI, which confirmed that he had a torn right ACL, his agent, Bernie Lee, told ESPN.
“Obviously a gut punch on every level for Jimmy and the entire group, but I firmly believe that this is a part of the journey,” Lee said in a statement to the outlet. “We can’t only expect to take the good things out of it. I’ve known for over 10 years now that Jimmy is going to win a championship before he is done. My belief in that is unwavering.”
Butler’s injury comes as Golden State has maintained a winning record so far this season, going 12-4 in its last 16 games. He was averaging 21.3 points in January and scored 17 points in 21 minutes before his injury Monday night, per ESPN.
Details on Butler’s contract
Butler has been with the Warriors since February 2025 and has helped the team become more successful alongside Stephen Curry. Lee said “functional decisions” will be made in the coming days and that Butler will be focused on rehabilitation.
“If you know anything about Jimmy, you know exactly how he will attack this challenge,” Lee said. “Put simply, he has this.”
Butler is earning $54.1 million this season and $56.8 million in the final year of his contract.