The Golden State Warriors’ momentum took a devastating hit on Monday night as Jimmy Butler suffered a torn right ACL, an injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the season and force the franchise to confront an uncertain future.
The injury occurred midway through the third quarter of Golden State’s win over the Miami Heat, when Butler leaped for an entry pass in the paint and collided with Heat guard Davion Mitchell.
His right knee twisted awkwardly on the landing, sending him crashing to the floor in visible pain. He stayed down for several minutes as teammates gathered around him in silence at Chase Center before he was helped off the court and into the locker room.
“He was still cracking jokes over there while he was on the ground,” Stephen Curry said after the game. “In true Jimmy fashion, he’s always gonna have a good time no matter what the situation is.”
Butler was taken for an MRI shortly after leaving the arena, and the scan confirmed the ACL tear, his agent Bernie Lee told ESPN.
The Warriors announced Tuesday that Butler will undergo surgery at a later date, officially ending his season.
“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 ESPN. “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.”
The timing of the injury could not be worse for Golden State. The Warriors had won 12 of their past 16 games and were climbing back up the Western Conference standings, with Butler playing a major role in that surge.
Lee added that there will be important decisions made in the coming days before Butler’s full focus shifts to recovery.
“If you know anything about Jimmy, you know exactly how he will attack this challenge,” Lee said. “Put simply, he has this.”
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