On Tuesday, a young fan was left disappointed after attending the Miami Heat’s home game against the Boston Celtics only to see his idol Jimmy Butler sit out the contest.
While similar cases have happened several times before, this one was a bit different because the kid flew over 4,405 miles to see Butler play. The Heat star found out about the situation and surprised the fan in a big way.
Butler recapped it all in a heartfelt Instagram post for the young fan.
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Fans paying good money to see their favorite players in action only to find out they won’t be suiting up has been a recurring theme in recent years. Injuries are a common culprit for such instances. In some cases, load management is to blame.
But for Butler’s fan, it’s fortunate that his sadness quickly turned into what may be the greatest memory of his life so far. It seems that his presence on Friday was a lucky charm for the Heat, as they were able to beat the Orlando Magic. Thanks to Butler, the fan had a courtside view of the game.
Entering the fourth quarter of that contest, Miami trailed by six points. But a rally in the final frame helped the Heat come out with a 110-105 victory against a determined Magic squad.
Butler finished with a game-high 29 points and added six rebounds and six assists. He also got some help from Bam Adebayo, who scored 20 points and dished out a team-high seven assists. Max Strus, meanwhile, drained five 3-pointers off the bench.
The win allowed Miami to sweep its three-game homestand and maintain its No. 6 placing in the Eastern Conference standings. The squad might need more luck in the coming days because its next four matches will be held on the road. In addition, three of those will come against teams that are relatively close to the Heat in the standings.
Hopefully, Butler won’t have to miss any more games in the coming weeks.
