Is Jimmy Butler’s latest injury sting worse for Dwyane Wade than it is for Golden State’s championship aspirations? Well, the Miami Heat icon had been rooting for Butler despite his midseason move to Golden State. But Butler’s pelvic contusion has cast fresh uncertainty across the Warriors’ title bid. Amid such circumstances, Wade’s unwavering confidence in Butler’s postseason prowess makes his return quite crucial for the Warriors.

If you missed the incident, here’s how it unfolded. During Wednesday’s 109-94 loss to the Houston Rockets, Butler went up for a rebound late in the first quarter. Amen Thompson undercut him mid-air, causing Butler to crash to the floor. He crumpled in pain, then grimaced his way to two free throws. But beneath that tough exterior, he’d sustained a pelvic contusion. Amid all of this comes Dwyane Wade’s podcast, featuring him, explaining how relevant Butler still is in the postseason.

“… When they say, like, playoff Jimmy is real, a lot of times you think, oh, people just gave you a nickname. No… This is real. And I’m an eye test person. I look at the eyes and, like, the Jimmy that I see sometime in the regular season is Jimmy that’s getting through it. The Jimmy I’m watching right now is a Jimmy that can help you win the championship,” Wade explained how terrifying Playoff Jimmy can be.

Wade further highlighted the 6x All-Star as an athlete who maintains a certain calm. But also does his job on all fronts. “When Draymond came out and said, we can win a championship, I was like, man, Dre, you crazy as hell… And I watched them guys, them three guys go out there and play… If you’re getting that kind of production out of your third guy [Butler],” Wade said, explaining that even though Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry can be Robin and Batman on the offense, Dray would always be the number two guy on the team with Steph.

“Jimmy’s coming in as that third guy, and he can. He’s making an impact on the game the way he’s making an impact. He doesn’t need the ball all the time to make an impact. He’s gonna do it on both ends of the floor, and he’s gonna do it in celebration of his teammates. This is one of the best versions of Jimmy Butler we’ve seen in the last few years,” Wade said.

The 3x NBA champ claimed this recent Jimmy Butler to be exactly the one that everyone fell in love with. “This is that dog. This is the one that you can count on every night,” he said. But now, with Butler suffering from a pelvic contusion, Dwyane Wade’s hopes for Butler this season seem to be hanging in the balance. Just hours after Wade’s remarks, Butler’s camp offered a glimmer of hope.

Butler’s agent opens up on update regarding Jimmy Butler’s injury

The Warriors may be staring down a season-defining moment, and it all hinges on Jimmy Butler. After suffering a pelvic contusion, Butler’s condition has left fans holding their breath—and the team’s playoff hopes hanging in the balance.

Just hours after Wade’s glowing assessment, a cryptic text from Butler’s agent shifted the narrative. On ESPN’s NBA Today, Marc Spears revealed, “Bernie Lee, Jimmy Butler’s agent, texted me saying, ‘Pray for the bear.’ That tells me there’s optimism for Jimmy”. Butler, who fell awkwardly off an Amen Thompson undercut in the Rockets’ 109-94 Game 2 win, will undergo an MRI on Thursday in San Francisco. His swift return could mean the difference between a series-defining swing at Chase Center and an early off-season for a Warriors roster that surged from 25-26 to 48-33 after he arrived on Feb 5, 2025

Since his arrival in early February, Butler has sparked a transformation in Golden State. With their six-time All-Star now sidelined, the Warriors know just how much they’ll need him to keep chasing that title dream. But seemingly, no one gets it better than Dwyane Wade.

Dwyane Wade’s seal of approval, combined with a ‘Pray for the bear’ text from Butler’s camp, underscores just how pivotal his presence remains. Now, as Game 3 looms at Chase Center, the question isn’t whether Playoff Jimmy can return—it’s whether his return can carry Golden State all the way.