The Golden State Warriors’ championship hopes suffered a crushing blow on Monday night as star forward Jimmy Butler was ruled out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season with a torn ACL in his right knee. The injury occurred during the third quarter of the Warriors’ commanding 135-112 victory over Butler’s former team, the Miami Heat, at the Chase Center.
The incident unfolded with 7:41 remaining in the third quarter. Butler, who had been aggressive all night, collided with Heat guard Davion Mitchell while attempting to secure a pass in the paint. He landed awkwardly on his right leg and immediately collapsed to the floor, clutching his knee in visible pain while the arena fell silent.
Despite the severity of the moment, Butler remained true to his competitive and lighthearted nature. Teammate Stephen Curry revealed that while Butler was on the floor, he was “still cracking jokes” and arguing with officials that he was owed two free throws for the foul. “In true Jimmy fashion, he’s always gonna have a good time no matter what the situation is,” Curry said.
Butler was eventually helped off the court by teammates Gary Payton II and Buddy Hield, unable to put any weight on his leg. An MRI confirmed the tear the following day, abruptly ending a strong season where the 36-year-old was averaging 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. Before exiting the game, he had contributed 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting in just 21 minutes.
Head coach Steve Kerr described the post-game atmosphere as “subdued” despite the blowout win, acknowledging the loss of a key leader. “I felt like the last couple of weeks, he’s really at the top of his game,” Kerr noted. Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, called the diagnosis a “gut punch” but expressed confidence in Butler’s return, stating, “I’ve known for over 10 years now that Jimmy is going to win a championship before he is done”.
