Steph Curry was always expected to take the court for the Golden State Warriors in L.A. for the team’s final game on Sunday, but Jimmy Butler showing up during pregame warmups was a surprise, indeed.
Butler isn’t returning to action and won’t be available for the play-in tournament next week, or the NBA playoffs should Golden State win its way into the No. 8 seed, after tearing his ACL in mid-January.
However, the six-time All-Star forward had major media personalities talking and sharing videos on social media after he appeared on the court sans crutches before the Warriors played the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 82 on the regular season’s final day April 12.
“Jimmy Butler is with the Warriors in Los Angeles,” Anthony Slater of ESPN reported on X, sharing a video Butler stepping out onto the hardwood and attempting a 3-point shot before rejoining his teammates on the bench. “Just popped out during Steph Curry’s warmup. Moving gingerly, but he’s off crutches.”
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN shared the video to her X account after Slater’s initial post.
Jimmy Butler Has Battled Injuries Since Joining Warriors
GettyJimmy Butler III of the Golden State Warriors
Butler played 38 games for Golden State this year before his injury, averaging 20 points, 5.6 rebounds 4.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
He joined the Warriors ahead of the 2024-25 trade deadline via a deal with the Miami Heat, offering an injection of energy and toughness that led Golden State to a stellar stretch run and the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. The Dubs won their first play-in tournament game last April, capturing the 7th seed in the playoffs and earning a matchup with the Houston Rockets.
Butler battled injury issues in that series, though Golden State went on to win in seven games and advance to Round 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors took a 1-0 lead against Minnesota, but Curry suffered a hamstring injury midway through Game 1.
The Timberwolves won the next four straight and dispatched Golden State in five games.
Warriors Will Finish 10th in Western Conference, Likely to Face Clippers in NBA Play-In Tournament
Getty Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors’ age caught up with them last postseason, which also happened in 2025-26 — only it came sooner this time around.
Curry was out for 27 straight games with knee pain, going down just days after Butler’s injury. The two-time MVP has missed 38 contests this season, the same number in which Butler played.
The Dubs traded with the Atlanta Hawks for big man Kristaps Porzingis at this year’s deadline, but he has battled health concerns of his own that have kept him sidelined for a significant portion of his short run in the Bay Area.
Golden State will be the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference heading into the play-in tournament and are merely playing out the string against the Clippers Sunday. However, the two teams may meet again this week in the play-in tournament.
L.A. is 41-40, as are the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland is hosting the Sacramento Kings Sunday evening and will guarantee themselves the 8th seed in the West with a victory and/or a Clippers’ loss.
Thus, the most likely outcome is that the Phoenix Suns will host the Trail Blazers in the play-in tournament, with the winner claiming the 7th seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. The Warriors will then play the Clippers in Los Angeles, with the winner of that contest taking on the loser between the Suns and Blazers for the final spot in the postseason.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jimmy Butler Turns Heads at Warriors’ Final Game With Unexpected Display appeared first on Heavy Sports.