Jimmy Butler is known as a tireless competitor on the basketball court, and that mentality translated well to the poker table during a celebrity event this weekend. The Miami Heat superstar was a big winner to the point where he was dishing out cash to fans by the end.
Jimmy Butler won a $120k and $80k pot last night playing poker with Neymar, Ninja and Ryan Garcia 💰 pic.twitter.com/LBtCKv5jPT
— Emo Jimmy (@WheelerJaylen) June 23, 2024
Preparing to enter the second season of a three-year contract that pays over $146 million, it ain’t like Jimmy Buckets is hurting for cash. Nevertheless, quite classy of him to hand out some big bills. The six-figure take-home pay Butler earned came at a cost, though. He had to sit next to Ryan Garcia, who was recently suspended for a year for a PED violation.
Garcia has a, um, big personality that Butler wasn’t too keen to engage with beyond the bare minimum in the heat of a high-stakes poker battle.
Ryan Garcia having the time of his life playing poker with Jimmy Butler and Neymar 💀 pic.twitter.com/yUPUdXMpIM
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) June 23, 2024
When the two did engage in dialogue, it was clear Garcia wasn’t a ball-knower at all. He couldn’t even remember that Butler played for the Heat, instead alluding to where Jimmy began his career many moons ago with the Chicago Bulls.
Ryan Garcia: you were cold on the Bulls
Jimmy Butler: appreciate it, that was some good years
Ryan Garcia: which team you play for now ??
Jimmy Butler: Miami
Ryan Garcia: oh yeah I don’t know even why I asked pic.twitter.com/8iTCjzoFOf
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) June 23, 2024
At 25 years old, and as someone who makes a living by getting beaten to a pulp at times, Garcia is probably still reeling from the whole PED fiasco. He was just arrested a couple weeks ago for felony vandalism after trashing a hotel room. Not great looks all around!
It also happens that Garcia is a serial tweeter/X poster. Not a lot of goodness going on in his social media feed. Vitriol. Denial of taking PEDs.
I gave him brain damage, if there is a rematch mark my works you’d actually die In the ring
Not saying I want that to happen
But like the Russian in Rocky 4 said
“If he DIES HE DIES” https://t.co/TvF1IZ0KIm
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) June 22, 2024
I really hope boxing good without me
I fought everyone and was willing to
They have turned there back on me
I’m innocent
I stand by that I don’t care what everyone says
Gun yo my head I say I didn’t take PED’s
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) June 20, 2024
The victory Garcia had over Devin Haney was considered a huge upset, but because of his PED use, the fight was retroactively deemed a no-contest, and he was forced to forfeit all $1.2 million of his disclosed purse, plus more millions in guarantees. The New York State Athletic Commission also ordered Garcia to pay a $10,000 fine.
So yeah, can’t blame Jimmy Buckets for wanting little to nothing to do with this guy. Garcia comes across as the textbook definition of a loose cannon. You have to wonder what he’s going to do now that boxing has been taken away for the time being. I’m personally not too keen to follow up on him.
As for Butler, his future is a little cloudy but not in such a dire way as Garcia’s. Many believe the six-time NBA All-Star will be traded this summer.
Rival executives believe the Miami Heat are preparing to trade Jimmy Butler, per @HowardBeck.
If the Heat decide to trade him, which team do you believe would be a good fit for Jimmy Butler? 🤔
🔸 Thunder
🔸 Mavs
🔸 Warriors
🔸 Lakers
🔸 Knicks pic.twitter.com/TupoQq7eUG— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 22, 2024
At least for now, Butler has a little bit of extra cash to enjoy during the offseason, courtesy of his poker prowess and mental fortitude to endure Garcia’s insufferable antics.
