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Jimmy Butler's Agent Sent Cryptic Text to NBA Insider About His Injury Status

Tim Capurso

Butler directs teammates before a play.
Butler directs teammates before a play. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler suffered a pelvic contusion after exiting the club's Game 2 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, clouding his status for Saturday's Game 3 while also sparking outrage among fans who believed a dirty play from Rockets forward Amen Thompson contributed to the injury.

On Thursday, the day Butler was slated to undergo an MRI, the Warriors star's camp sent a cryptic message about his injury to ESPN NBA reporter Marc J. Spears.

During an appearance on NBA Today, Spears revealed the four-word text message he received from Butler's agent Bernie Lee.

"...There is some hope though," Spears said. "Bernie Lee, Jimmy Butler's agent texts me saying, 'Pray for the bear.' That tells me there's some optimism for Jimmy."

Could the bear Butler's agent is referring to be the Rockets mascot? If that's the case, Lee could be indirectly implying that Butler, known for his playoff prowess, is going to return from his injury with a vengeance? Unfortunately, it's not exactly clear what he means.

But, as Spears indicated, the message at the very least seemingly lends some hope for Butler's Game 3 status.

Including Thursday, the Warriors star will have two full days of rest before the third game of the Warriors-Rockets series on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Ca.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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