"I'm half-Brazilian" - Jimmy Butler hints on his next play post NBA retirement
Retirement for Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler could be around the corner, and he already has a plan after his stint in the NBA. For most players in the league, once they call it quits in the NBA, they're done playing basketball for good. But not Butler.
Butler is 34 years old and will be 35 by the time the 2024-25 season starts. For most cases, that's the age when players' health and on-court effectiveness start to dwindle. The Heat star could approach that chapter in his life as he's already experienced many injuries over the past seasons.
With that, he's shared his plans on where he'd likely be if he leaves the NBA. The six-time All-Star hinted that there's a chance he could play basketball in Brazil to continue his career.
"I mean, yeah. In the NBA? For sure," Butler said when asked if he plans to end his career in the NBA with the Heat (via GQ).
"But then after that, I really do want to play for Flamengo. I tell everybody, I'm half-Brazilian."
Many believe that Butler still has good years ahead of him. But it's also good that he has a plan after his NBA career. In the past season, the 30th pick of the 2011 draft averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
He's also in the final year of his contract, that is, if he doesn't pick up his player option for the 2025-26 season. There's also a chance that he could be offered an extension to play a few more years in Miami.
Looking at Jimmy Butler's Brazilian connection
After his comments that he's "half-Brazilian," many have started to wonder if Jimmy Butler has roots from the South American country. However, the star doesn't have Brazilian nationality. The 6-foot-7 star is American and happens to have fallen in love with Brazil.
Over the years, Butler has spent a lot of time in Brazil. One of the main reasons for it was because he watched Neymar, his favorite soccer player. The Heat star first watched the athlete play for Brazil in the 2016 Summer Olympics and immediately fell in love with the sport and country.
Additionally, he's had interactions with Flamengo's soccer club. In the previous offseason, the Heat star spent time with the players and even played basketball with them.
His love for the country has been well-documented, and he also learned how to dance Samba while he visited Brazil in 2019.