Butler directs teammates before a play. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

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.”

“Bernie Lee, Jimmy Butler’s agent texts me saying, ‘Pray for the bear.'”@MarcJSpears says Jonathan Kuminga needs to be ready for Warriors-Rockets Game 3, but has “optimism” for Butler’s injury status 👀 pic.twitter.com/YvZbLL4gQS

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 24, 2025

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.