Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler. Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Jimmy Butler posts a six-word message after tearing his ACL

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated Jan 20, 2026 9:01 PM ET

Jimmy Butler is far from ready to call it a day despite having just suffered the most devastating injury of his entire NBA career.

The Golden State Warriors star Butler was lost for the season after tearing his right ACL during a game against his former team the Miami Heat on Monday. In the third quarter at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Butler leapt high to catch a pass down low from teammate Brandin Podziemski and came down awkwardly on his knee (see the video here).

In a post to his Instagram page on Tuesday, Butler addressed his season-ending injury. Maintaining his trademark sense of humor, Butler included an edited image of himself in an old-school military outfit along with the caption “General Soreness.”

Butler also included a six-word message in his caption. “Be back before you know it,” Butler wrote.

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A post shared by Jimmy Butler (@jimmybutler)

The six-time All-Star Butler will be facing a steep battle to get back onto the court. He will turn 37 years old in September and seems very unlikely to be ready for the start of next season in October (as ACL tears are generally nine-to-12-month injuries for NBA players).

Golden State also has the problem of Butler’s contract. Butler is making $54.1 million this season and is still owed another $56.8 million guaranteed for next season. Now it looks like Butler will be spending a significant part of that time rehabbing from his injury.

But based on that post, it seems Butler is very determined to get back on the floor instead of just being content with coasting into retirement. In the meantime, though, the 25-19 Warriors now have to figure out how to somehow save their season, which will likely involve making one drastic change.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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