Taking a moment to appreciate Lamont Butler on his birthday

Lamont Butler turns 23 years old today. We’re here to give him even more of the flowers he deserves.

Butler spent just one season as a member of the Kentucky men’s basketball program. He came to Lexington having won a pair of Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year awards during his four-year career at San Diego State, which included a berth in the 2023 national championship game. Before Butler even stepped foot on UK’s campus, he was already well-known as the guy who hit the buzzer-beating shot to beat Florida Atlantic in the Final Four.

How would all of those accolades translate to playing for a Blue Blood in the SEC? I’m glad you asked. Luckily, I already know the answer: beautifully.

Butler had the best individual season of his college career at Kentucky. The 6-foot-1 point guard posted career-highs in points (11.4), rebounds (2.9), and assists (4.3) per game while shooting career-highs in field goal percentage (49.8) and three-point percentage (39.1). He went from being labeled as a defense-first guard while at San Diego State to an all-around floor general at Kentucky.

Whenever Butler was on the floor, the Wildcats were a better team compared to him sitting on the bench.

Happy birthday to the best son in the world. Words can’t really describe how proud I am of you. Let’s get ready for the biggest day of your life!!!! pic.twitter.com/Anj43cNBcg

— Lamont Butler Sr. (@Lamontsre) June 9, 2025

And that’s statistically true, as well. According to CBBAnalystics, Butler’s net rating of 20.8 was the highest among any of his teammates and ranked in the 98th percentile across the country. With Butler running the show, Kentucky’s team offense was elite — and the defense not too far behind. In the seven SEC games he missed due to a shoulder injury that nagged him throughout most of the conference schedule, the ‘Cats went 2-5.

But his willingness to play through that injury is what will keep him in the minds of the Big Blue Nation for years to come. It’s hard to forget Butler sporting that massive shoulder brace for the final several weeks. It never deterred his play on either end of the floor, though. Every time he crashed to the ground going for a loose ball or fought his way to the rim, the fan base collectively gasped, but he bounced back up every single time.

Just like he did at SDSU, Butler stepped up in big moments for Kentucky. Who could forget his perfect performance at home against the rival Louisville Cardinals? Butler didn’t miss a single shot on his way to scoring a career-high 33 points (10-10 FG, 6-6 3PT, 4-4 FT) to go along with six assists and three rebounds. Often lost in the conversation from that game was that he missed the previous two outings with a sprained ankle. He was still considered questionable in the hours leading up to tipoff at Rupp Arena.

“Unbelievable credit to him. My goodness what an incredible — Lamont Butler just gave us one of the all-time greatest performances in the history of his super special game,” Head coach Mark Pope said of Butler, who was named MVP of Kentucky’s 93-85 win. “All-time. The numbers back it up. The way he came into it backs it up… I’m so proud of him.”

Butler went on to have a handful of game-altering performances during conference play. Popular outlets were tabbing him as a Midseason All-American. He posted 19 points, eight assists, and three steals in the SEC-opening win over eventual national champion Florida. In a win over Texas A&M soon after, the game that sparked his season-long injury, he still managed six points, seven assists, and three steals in 30 minutes. The California native went on to drop 14 points and five assists in the NCAA Tournament against Illinois before finishing with 18 points and six rebounds in the Sweet 16 against Tennessee.

“LaMarch” was a real thing.

In the four games during the season that Butler played after missing the previous one due to injury, Kentucky went 4-0. His importance was constantly felt on and off the hardwood. He ended the year by saying his shoulder was only operating at 80 percent health — a true warrior for his team and the fans who loved to watch him fight.

Fans will remember the postgame scene from the Wildcats’ season-ending loss in the tournament: a crying Butler being consoled by Pope on the walk back to the locker room. But to reach that point, he helped set the standard for what Pope is looking to accomplish in Lexington. One season of Butler in the blue and white certainly doesn’t feel like enough, but his lasting impact will make it easier to accept.

“I would say it’s incredible, man,” Butler said of his time at UK during his final postgame press conference. “We came in, nobody not knowing each other, really no coaching staff, and we built something that was really great, really inspiring for other people. To even play at Kentucky is a dream come true for myself and a lot of guys up here. We’re grateful for him to bring us here and to bring us something that we may not have experienced before this year and really, just really grateful, honestly.”

“I think it’s really cool we were able to set the culture for Pope’s first year,” he added. “And people have to come in and the bar is going to be set high for the next people who come under Pope. It’s gonna be fun to watch for sure.”

So what’s next for Butler? A career as a professional basketball player, ideally. He’s hoping to hear his name called in the 2025 NBA Draft set for later this month, or at the very least get picked up as an undrafted free agent. There will be teams looking to add a floor-raising point guard with natural defensive skills and a growing offensive palate. He’s also a proven winner, and those aren’t as easy to come by as it might seem.

Wherever life takes Butler moving forward, he’ll have the backing of the BBN. Happy Birthday to PG1.

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