Jimmy Butler might not have gotten his chance to channel his inner “Playoff Jimmy” last season. However, when it comes to trolling, there are only a few who can rival the Miami Heat star. Before jumping into the prep for next season, Jimmy is living his life to the fullest, completing more of his side quests. One of those quests demanded his presence in China, where he linked up with a few other NBA talents.

Butler participated in NBA legend Yao Ming’s charity basketball game organised alongside James Harden, Paul George and Kyle Kuzma. The Yao Foundation’s event also allowed the quartet to interact with the youth of China through this endeavor. Since it was all for fun, Jimmy Butler made sure there was no lack of it as shown in the recently surfaced videos online.

In the clips, the 34-year-old is in action with his fellow NBA stars during the charity game. One footage shows Jimmy hilariously taking a dig at his NBA rivals accompanying him and saying, “We finna go out there, pass the ball to Kuz every time, PG and James… F–k them, I’m passing it to myself,” he said, before claiming he’s getting 60 points out there. The other video showed Butler handing a ball to a kid who was about to shoot before he blocked it. He displayed his usual antics by running up in his twinkle toes and dunking a ball after missing an open basket.

While the fans keep reminding him of the failure last season, Butler was only there to have a good time. An estimated crowd of 6,000 were treated to the USA talents at the Asia World Expo. Ultimately, Team NBA won 128-104 over the Chinese Basketball Association team, ensuring Butler got the last laugh with his Harden and PG. The Heat forward will surely take some good memories from this outing too after making his return to China. Butler has a close tie with the country due to his multi-year deal with Chinese apparel manufacturer Li-Ning, signed in 2020. But apart from promoting the brand and his signature shoes, Butler delved into Chinese culture, which was evident during his visit last year.

Jimmy Butler’s close connection to China after his “Incredible” find

Jimmy Butler has been around the NBA circuit for 11 years now and it is easy to assume that he’s seen it all and done it all (apart from winning the chip). But when he visited China last year, a new world opened to him, leaving the 6-time All-Star spellbound. Butler visited Taipan, Ghizhou to witness “Village BA”, a localized adaptation of the famed league from the US. Jimmy applauded the gathered crowd of more than 1200 wearing Miao silver jewellery and carrying Miao embroidery.

Butler also received a cotton ball after the event, which sparked outrage among some fans. According to Chinese beliefs, cotton is a sign of wisdom, diligence and simplicity of the working people, hence it only tied Butler closer to the foreign land as the people embraced him. During this tour, Butler was hit with a shoe but later the situation was clarified by the forward on his social media account. “Probably my favorite part about the whole thing,” Butler said via IG as he signed the shoe and returned it to the person who actually threw it for that same purpose. After the energizing trip, all the stars will shift their focus on the upcoming season and Jimmy Butler will surely be eager to prove again, why he is the Playoff Jimmy.