Cardell Butler was one of the most prolific scorers in San Mateo High School’s basketball history. As a junior, he was selected First Team All-Peninsula Athletic League, Player of the Year in the PAL, and First Team All San Mateo County. As a senior, he led the Bearcats to a PAL championship with a 28-3 record, placed 2nd in the Division III Central Coast Section championship, and went to the quarterfinals of the Division III Northern California championships. In his senior year, Butler averaged 32.4 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists per game while playing point guard, shooting guard, power forward, and center. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the PAL and the San Mateo County MVP and Player of the Year 1999. Butler was one of the youngest members inducted into the San Mateo High School Hall of Fame in 2009.
He went on to play basketball for Southern Idaho Junior College and led the team to a league championship while receiving All-Region Honors. In 2001, Butler received a full athletic scholarship to play for Utah State. As a senior in 2003-2004, he helped lead his team to a 22-2 overall and 14-1 conference record while averaging 14.1 PPG.
After Utah State, Butler played basketball overseas in Brazil, China, Korea, Singapore, and Europe as well as with the And1 Tour in the U.S.
In 2007, Butler began his conventional professional basketball career playing with the San Diego Wildcats of the American Basketball Association. In his first year with the team, he led the league by averaging 33 PPG and made the All-Star squad.
A couple of years later, Butler returned to The Bay Area to play for the San Francisco Rumble of the ABA for the next 4 years.
In 2009, Butler broke his foot going up for a dunk during the SF ProAm Summer League. Refusing to believe his career was over, he maintained his focus and energy into returning to the court, and it paid off. The following summer, Butler was named League MVP for the SF ProAm League in 2010.
In 2018, Butler averaged 26 PPG for the San Francisco City Cats and was one of the key players to lead the team to an undefeated regular season record of 20-0.
In late 2019, an undisclosed foot injury kept him out for the next season.
From 2021-2022, Butler played in The Basketball League (TBL) for the California Sea Kings (2021) and the Bakersfield Magic (2022). He also played in the TBL Summer Leagues in Las Vegas, NV.
In 2023, Butler played in overseas tournaments in Mexico (Tijuana Basketball Invitational) and the United Kingdom (The World Club Basketball Tournament).
