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Jimmy Butler III #10 of the Golden State Warriors is looked at by teammates and trainers after he collided with Davion Mitchell #45 of the Miami Heat and injured his knee during the third quarter at Chase Center on January 19, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
Veteran Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler III likely knew he suffered a season-ending injury when his right knee bent awkwardly after a collision with Davion Mitchell in Monday’s MLK Day clash against the Miami Heat.
Yet, Butler was his usual jovial self and was caught joking around with Buddy Hield before being helped off the court by his teammates. The NBA app’s hot mic picked up the entire NSFW interaction between Butler and Hield.
“That s**t looked nasty, huh?” Butler could be heard asking his teammates.
“Shut your b**h a* up! Oh! My knee!” Butler seemingly told Hield while screaming in pain.
“Come on, bro, we need you. Get you a** up,” Hield responded.
The full interaction can be heard below.
Jimmy Butler ACL Tear
Stephen Curry wasn’t surprised by Butler’s reaction to a severe injury.
“It was kind of funny,” Curry said, via The Athletic’s Nick Friedell. “He was still cracking jokes over there while he was on the ground in true Jimmy fashion.”
“Always going to have a good time no matter what the situation is. I do love that perspective and that part of his personality. Even in the worst of a moment, he was still having a good time.”
Curry added that Butler was also arguing with the referees that Davion Mitchell fouled him during their collision, and that he had earned two free throws.
Hield was also very encouraged by Butler’s reaction to the injury, and held out hope that his teammate hadn’t suffered a severe injury.
“His spirit leaving the court was great,” Hield said. “So we know that whatever’s to come he’s going to attack it and he’s gonna get back out there quickly.”
What Injury Means for Warriors
Butler suffered the knee injury at the 7:41 mark of the third quarter when he intercepted an entry pass in the paint and collided with Mitchell, which led to his right knee twisting on landing. He would remain on the floor for several minutes before being pulled to the floor and helped to the locker room.
ESPN’s Shams Charania subsequently confirmed that Butler suffered an ACL tear.
The injury is a devastating blow to a Warriors team that was finally finding its groove after a mediocre 16-16 start through the first 32 games. Steve Kerr’s team has gone 9-3 over its last 12 games, which includes the 135-112 win over the Heat on Monday.
Butler was crucial to Golden State’s 7-3 record in January, averaging 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists on a super-efficient 53% shooting. He also led all Warriors starters in plus/minus (+8.0) during the stretch, and was finally finding his groove on both ends of the floor, justifying his $54.1M price tag.
The Warriors (25-19) are just 1.5 games behind the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers (25-16) for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot. With Butler’s injury, the franchise may be forced to expedite its efforts to trade Jonathan Kuminga and bring in reinforcements to continue the playoff push.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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