Jimmy Butler stays in game after injury for free throws, then carted off (Video)

Jimmy Butler injured his leg, but waved off a stretcher to shoot his free throws. He then took the stretcher-cart off the court

If you ever questioned the heart or the toughness of Chicago Bulls star guard Jimmy Butler, he put those questions to bed on Friday night.

Late in the first half against the Denver Nuggets, Butler was driving to the rim on a fast break when Denver big man Joffrey Lauvergne fouled him on his way up. Butler came down awkwardly on his leg and then went to the floor hard on his back. He was on the ground for quite a while and they even brought out a stretcher-wheelchair hybrid to take him off the court after the injury:

However, Butler wouldn’t get in the cart because, per league rules, if he didn’t shoot the free throws then he wouldn’t be eligible to return to the game on Friday night. So he waved off the help, limped to the foul line, and shot his two free throws:

"Jimmy Butler gets OUT OF THE WHEEL CHAIR to shoot his free throws"

He then needed the help of teammate Aaron Brooks to go back to the baseline and get in the cart to go back to the locker room:

That’s just an unreal amount of toughness for Butler to wave off going back the locker room because he wants to come back and wants to try and knock down his foul shots that he earned. Hopefully this isn’t like the Kobe Bryant situation when he tore his Achilles and still shot his free throws, though, and Butler won’t be gone from the Bulls lineup for too long at all.