NBA

When asked about Team USA, Jimmy Butler told the press he doesn’t care about the FIBA World Cup

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Antonio Kozlow
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Antonio Kozlow Sports Editor

Antonio is a life long sports enthusiast and professional journalist, who shares an obssesive urge to find and dig up the most interesting facts to guide gamblers towards more exciting, yet safe bets. In his own words, ''you can never really know enough about the things you love''.

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Updated05 Sep 2023

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After Team USA lost their first game of the summer during the current 2023 FIBA World Cup against Lithuania on Sunday, lots of fans on social media started to worry about the possibility of not winning the presitgious competition.

Even though many seem to genuinely care about the United States’ displays on the international stage, some NBA stars have shown quite the opposite.

Jimmy Butler has spent his summer travelling with friends while chasing other sport’s important tournaments, everywhere from tennis courts to soccer stadiums around the world.

During this week’s visit to the US Open, which is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in professional tennis, he was asked by a European journalist about his thoughts over Team USA’s recent exhibitions at the FIBA World Cup, only to recieve a cold answer.

“I’m not making any statements here,” the Miami star first responded after a petition for a photograph. However, when the journalist formally introduced himself and stated his question, Butler was blunt.

“I don’t care about the World Cup,” the basketball player answered and immediately parted ways.

It seems pretty clear that the Heat guard isn’t too interested in basketball at all this summer, as he’s mostly been seen watching tennis matches around the globe.

When asked about his new love for the sport, he was clear. “Now it’s off to LA. I’m tired and my food’s cold. But I’ll be back at the US Open on Friday. I know y’all miss me cause I’ve been on tennis too often, but I don’t care,” Jimmy said.

The South Beach icon has made his admiration for Carlos Alcaraz very clear for some time now, as just earlier this year he travelled 4.426 miles to Wimbledon, England, to support the Spanish tennis player during his Quarter Finals clash against Holder Rune.

Lately Butler can be seen travelling to different sport stadiums alongside Colombian pop artist J Balvin

After his latest appearance in this Monday’s US Open game, a video witnessed both him and music icon J Balvin spending time together and greeting young Alcaraz after the match.

Once they hug and say farewell, Butler promised the Spaniard he will be there to see him again this week for the following contest. “I’ll be back. I’m finna go to LA, but I’ll come back here to watch you repeat. So I’ll be back on Friday,” the basketball athlete said.

After the US Open’s third-round game, he posted a story of himself calling out his next plans.

Take a look at the Heat star cheering Alcaraz from the stands this Monday in the video above.

“Just left the Carlos match. So we go from one thing to another. Watching my boy do his thing on the tennis court. Now it’s time for me to go do my thing on the football pitch. Yes, I have a football match in about an hour. So, gotta get in my zone,” he said on his own Instagram account.