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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Jimmy Butler’s signature recovery routine is simple: dominoes, coffee, and kids.
He’s now facing a different, longer, more grueling rehabilitation process after undergoing season-ending ACL reconstruction surgery on Feb. 10.
There’s still a lot of the trifecta: dominoes, coffee, kids. But now, there’s The Chart, too.
Butler’s chart lays out, week by week, the objectives of what he’s supposed to be doing. This week, he’s focused on flexion – bending his knee to the appropriate degree. Next week, he’ll be ready to ditch his crutches.
“I look at it all the time,” Butler said of his “fancy” chart. “But also, everything we do in rehab is about competing. Whether it’s today versus yesterday, what my numbers are compared to people in the past – I ain’t going to say no names – but it’s competing to see if you can be better than they were, be better than you were yesterday. So it makes me lock in, because I at least get to compete that way.”
The chart may or may not reveal a stated goal for Butler’s return, but he didn’t share an exact timeline while speaking with reporters for the first time since suffering his injury. The 36-year-old fully intends to get back on the court at some point next season, which the Warriors have been anticipating since he went down.
Butler was in the nation’s capital because he’d just been cleared to fly and wanted to be with teammates. His right knee is visibly swollen and he moved with a heavy limp, leaving his crutches at his locker for short trips around the visitor’s locker room.
He met Kristaps Porzingis and watched the center score 30 points in a 125-117 victory over the Wizards to snap a five-game losing skid. Porzingis also logged five rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals in his best game with Golden State. The Warriors are now 10-20 in games without Butler.
It was also head coach Steve Kerr’s 600th regular-season win. He’s the 28th coach ever to reach that milestone, and only Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, and Phil Jackson did it faster.
Butler was right there for the postgame celebration in which Steph Curry presented Kerr with the game ball. The team also erupted into a celebration of “Bow-Bow-Bow,” (opens in new tab) a leftover relic from Butler’s pal Buddy Hield.
“It’s a little bit more quiet around here without Buddy,” Butler said pregame. “But we still talk, as we always will. But yeah, his energy is definitely missed.”
At the podium pregame, Kerr said he hadn’t yet reconnected in person with Butler. About halfway through Butler’s conversation with reporters, Kerr walked by and flashed him a fist pump. Once Butler was done describing his recovery process, he and his coach briefly caught up.
“Huge boost emotionally,” Kerr said of Butler’s presence. “Having Steph on this trip is a big deal, he wasn’t on the last trip and you could feel his absence. So having both guys here tonight will be a big lift for our team emotionally.”
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Butler said his spirits have been high. He’s spending more time around his kids and maintains perspective — “I still get to tell people I’m an NBA player, so I’m happy about that.” He said it makes him smile to see some of the young guys on the team make the most of their opportunities when he catches Warriors games on TV.
Butler won’t be with the team too often because he has to be home in Southern California doing daily rehab. Even his presence on Monday night “surprised” Gui Santos, the forward said.
“He’s always bringing great energy,” Santos said. “He was talking about my shoes because I was just playing with orange shoes [all the time]. So he’s like, ‘Gui, you don’t have any other shoes, you need me to buy shoes for you?’ He’s just a great guy. It was great to have him here, to see how he’s feeling. And I can’t wait to have him back for next season.”
Typically, players take at least a year to return to the court after tearing an ACL, but there are outliers on both ends of the spectrum. There’s no precedent for an NBA player of Butler’s age who has successfully returned to play from a torn ACL.
That doesn’t mean he won’t be the first.
“I do want to come back,” Butler said. “We all know that. I can’t say when. Obviously, as early as I can and help my guys win some games. But like, you’ve probably heard me say it a ton of times, whenever my body’s ready. Just like one of all other injuries, major, minor. Whenever my body’s ready, I promise I’m trying to get back out there.”