On Sunday afternoon, Wimbledon roared after a final winning cry from Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard has done it again; he is once again the King of Grass. But one notable face was missing in the crowd, who has been a frequent face alongside Alcaraz over the last year. The man in question is none other than the Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler.

Jimmy has been a frequent visitor to tennis games since Carlos Alcazar played last year. Even the duo shared the court together for a charity event. But this time, Alcaraz did not find his “best friend” in the stands of center court. For Butler, this time, soccer lured him away from his tennis champion friend. In a series of pictures and videos posted on his IG story, Jimmy Butler made it public knowledge that he wouldn’t be at Wimbledon this year. Rather, he’s gripped with soccer fever and off to Berlin, Germany, to see the 2024 Euro Cup Final between England and Spain.

This comes as a massive surprise, as Butler shares a close bond with the tennis star. But Carlitos won’t mind as he’ll have a shiny trophy by himself to fill the Butler-sized void. To make amends, Butler posted another series of stories on his IG handle after Alcaraz’s Wimbledon conquering antics. In a video, he is seen alongside F1 driver, Lando Norris, soaking in the action of the match on his phone. Congratulating Alcaraz with a Vamos shout, Butler said, “We talked about this, we talked about this,” implying that he gave the Spaniard prior notice of his inability to attend the match in person.

Over the last two years, Butler has been to multiple tennis games featuring Carlos Alcaraz. Last year, he made good on his promise of being at the Wimbledon and made an appearance during Alcaraz’s semifinal match. During Miami Open, earlier this year, Butler was also in attendance during Alcaraz’s match alongside soccer star, Neymar Jr. “For me it’s kind of difficult to stay focused in the match,” Alcaraz said after the match with Lorenzo Musetti. “I have a relationship with Jimmy Butler. I talked a bit with Juan Martin and Neymar. It’s a great opportunity to have them around and get a chance to talk with them a bit. It’s great to put on a show in front of them.”

Butler’s interest in soccer has increased several folds since Lionel Messi joined the MLS side, Inter Miami. The two megastars share the same city and have linked up in the most unexpected of circumstances. Now that love for the game has lured him to Germany as playoff Jimmy is getting ready for a Final.

Jimmy Butler’s love for soccer takes him to Germany

NBA stars are no strangers to the thrill of soccer. Joel Embiid recently attended a match in the 2024 Copa America, while Josh Hart threw a tantrum on social media supporting England. Jimmy Butler also is among that group of soccer enthusiasts and with the Euro 2024 excitement gripping Berlin, he did not keep stay away from the action. Just in a few hours’ time, England will take on Spain in Berlin’s Olympiastadion and Butler will be there to see the action unfold live.

This won’t be Butler’s first taste of live soccer action as the Heat forward attended an Inter Miami game earlier this year. Buttler also revealed that he ditched Last Dance to play soccer in his backyard. “Everybody around my house puts it (Last Dance) on every TV. And I’m just like, you know what? Everybody is watching it, so I’m gonna go outside and work on my true calling, and I just kick a soccer ball around. … I’ve been working on my game,” Butler admitted in 2020. The 6-time NBA All-Star will probably lean towards Spain due to the latino populace in Miami, but with Jimmy, nothing is for sure. Can you guess who would Butler support? Let us know in the comments!

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what brand maker, Leonard Armato, had to say about the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe, check out this video