Jimmy Butler, a valuable part of the Miami Heat, is quite reserved. He’s maintained a surprising balance between his pro and personal life. Given his stardom, however, the hooper can’t hide everything from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. Most recently, in mid-2023, Jimmy was linked with pop star Shakira, attracting a lot of social media attention. 

The fans made the connection after the music artist and her kids were spotted for the Heat’s playoff games. However, Bulter slashed all the speculation, saying, “Her kids are big fans. Does that mean we are dating?” However, the two stopped appearing together later, apparently indicating a separation. But there is one woman with whom Butler reportedly had a relationship.

It was with Kaitlin Nowak whom he met in 2019. Interestingly, in a video posted on Instagram just a week back, Butler revealed that he was single. Though he does have kids with Nowak. His daughter Rylee was born in 2019, the season for Butler’s debut with the Heat.

The hooper also welcomed a son in 2023, Brayan, who’s mostly been kept away from the public eye. A father of two kids, Jimmy Butler, is not married. Kaitlin Nowak, the mother, is a Polish-American social media model, influencer, blogger, and entrepreneur. Born on December 13, 1990, in Nebraska, US, she now lives in California.

Kaitlin’s mother, Natalie Nowak, is an entrepreneur, and her father works as a businessman. For her education, Kaitlin attended Omaha South High School in Nebraska before enrolling at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, where she earned a degree in Advertising, Public Relations, and Applied Communications.

While Nowak keeps her personal and professional life private, it’s known that she works as an established model in the industry. Though Butler’s relationship with Nowak is somewhat open to the public eye, the small forward has been intriguingly linked with several well-known women in the past.

In 2013, Butler was linked up with popular singer Miley Cyrus, but the relationship was never confirmed. Later, dating rumors with athlete Lolo Jones started flying after an exchange of flirty messages on social media. However, this time as well, their relationship was not acknowledged publicly. There is more to it.

In 2018, Butler was rumored to be dating Iggy Azalea, but she denied the rumors in an interview. Further, he was also linked with Selena Gomez. Butler’s relationship with actor Shay Mitchell came under the scanner after social media messages and public appearances. Further, Rachel Nichols also came to the limelight because of their on-camera chemistry. But Similar to Butler’s previous relationships, all these just remained just rumors. Though his relationships are somewhat veiled, Butler’s love for his children is unmissable. Probably his own life has something to do with it.

JB’s father had left the family just 10 days after he was born. At 13, his mother abandoned him. From that point until he was 17, Butler faced homelessness, moving from one friend’s couch to another. Fortunately, at 17, one of his close friend’s parents took him in, and his life took a positive turn. After entering the NBA, things improved significantly for Jimmy Butler.

Despite being abandoned by his parents, he still maintains a relationship with both of them. Maybe not having a father during his childhood has left a deep scar, and therefore, he does his best to do everything for his kids.

A shift in priorities for Jimmy Butler after becoming a father

Rylee was born on October 23, 2019. It coincided with Jimmy Butler’s debut for the Heat. Butler missed the opening three games of the season to be with Nowak at the time of their daughter’s birth. The hooper then came back and won the 4th game. At that time, all this was kept on the low. Butler has always kept his private life away from the media. A rare occurrence for a star like of his stature. 

A basketball career is taxing in itself, but he is prioritizing both his career and his kids. While Butler has protected his kids from the media, Rylee and Brayan appeared on Netflix’s Starting 5. The first episode featured Jimmy showing how he starts his day with his kids in the morning. You can even see Rylee boasting how she knows her father’s favorite coffee is cappuccino! 

“My kids, they really set everything in like proportion, the way that I look at things because when I come home, they don’t care if I had a triple-double or if I fouled out in the first three minutes of the game, I’m just their dad,” Jimmy Butler said in the show. “They could care less about anything else. Whenever I’m home, I try to the best of my ability to be their dad first.” Butler had previously revealed how his children motivate him.

To perform at an elite level, a strong driving force is necessary. While we all know how MJ would spin up stories in his mind for that, JB does not resort to such antics. In a very wholesome interview with ABC News, Butler opened up on the impact his children had on his life. He said Rylee and Brayan are his “why” the driving force behind everything he does.

“I always talk about my ‘why,’ and my ‘why’ are my kids,” the hoops veteran said about who he’s really playing for. “Like everything I do now, I want to make it home to them. I want to make sure they’re safe.”

Jimmy Butler revealed on The Artist and the Athlete Podcast that Kyle Lowry, one of his best friends, is Rylee’s Godfather. Once teammates, Lowry now plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, still, the bond between them does seem to be the same. 

Butler absolutely loves spending time with his kids, even when Bleacher Report asked what would be the first thing he’d do after the 2023 NBA playoffs, his reply was, “I’m gonna play with my daughter, man. I love her to death, I miss her — I’ve been away for a very long time.” He continued, “We’re going to get ice cream, we’re going to the park, we’re doing a lot of different stuff.” 

The Heat star is a devoted father to Rylee and Brayan. He has had past relationships that have drawn media attention. Despite his fame, Jimmy Butler keeps the spotlight on his basketball achievements rather than his personal affairs. Fans may be curious, but the hooper continues to lead a private life away from the hardwood.