The Golden State Warriors are riding an emotional rollercoaster. Just hours after learning that star wing Jimmy Butler would miss the remainder of the season with a torn right ACL, the franchise received a much-needed jolt of energy: Stephen Curry was named an NBA All-Star starter for the 12th time.
Butler, despite facing a grueling rehabilitation process, didn't let his own misfortune stop him from celebrating his teammate. The six-time All-Star took to Instagram to repost a tribute video of Curry over the years, affectionately captioning it “Batman allstar starter.” It’s a continuation of a running joke between the two stars, where Butler has frequently referred to himself as “Robin” to Curry’s “Batman” since joining the Warriors.
The “Batman” praise is well-deserved. At 37 years old, Curry made history on Monday as the oldest guard to ever be named an All-Star starter. He earned the nod through a weighted formula of fan, player, and media voting, joining Western Conference stars like Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic.
The timing of the honor serves as a bittersweet backdrop to a brutal week in San Francisco. Butler suffered the season-ending injury during Monday night’s 135-112 blowout win over the Miami Heat.
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Before leaving the game at the 7:41 mark of the third quarter, Butler was putting on a clinic against his former team, tallying 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting in just 21 minutes.
Curry, meanwhile, led the charge with his usual brilliance, averaging 27.6 points per game this season. In the win over Miami, the Warriors showed the depth that has kept them at 25-19 and 8th in the West, but losing Butler’s 20.0 points and 4.9 assists per game leaves a massive void.
“In true Jimmy fashion, he’s always gonna have a good time no matter what the situation is,” Curry told reporters regarding Butler’s spirits after the injury.
With “Robin” sidelined, “Batman” will have to carry an even heavier cape as the Warriors push toward the playoffs.