The nightmare scenario for every basketball fan became a reality for a young Jimmy Butler fan on Tuesday.
Luckily, the story had a happy ending.
Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat during a game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 16, 2023 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
(Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Before the Miami Heat faced the Boston Celtics Tuesday night at the Miami-Dade Arena, the TNT broadcast showed a young fan holding a sign of Heat star Jimmy Butler.
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«Dear Jimmy, We flew over 4,405 miles to watch you play,» the sign read. «Can we take a picture or a big face coffee?»
Butler created the Bigface coffee brand in 2021.
The young fan who was holding the sign stood next to his sister, who was holding the Argentine flag.
Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler laughs on the sidelines during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 26, 2022 at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida.
(Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Butler was a late scratch due to lower back strain and was ruled out shortly before kick-off.
The broadcast captured harrowing video of the young fan discovering he would not see Butler play after traveling thousands of miles.
The Heat realized the disappointment of the fans and tried to make up for it.
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The fan received a signed Butler jersey and basketball at halftime of the game.
On Tuesday, Butler went a step further and welcomed the fan to the arena to spend time with him.
While the young fan didn’t get a chance to see his favorite player suit up, he did get to see the Heat stage an exciting return.
Miami used a 15-0 run late in the fourth quarter to erase a 10-point deficit, beating the Celtics 98-95.
Bam Adebayo (13) and Jimmy Butler (22) of the Miami Heat react against the New Orleans Pelicans during a game at the Smoothie King Center on January 18, 2023 in New Orleans.
(Jonathan Bachmann/Getty Images)
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The Heat were led by center Bam Adebayo, who had 30 points and 15 rebounds.
«We got kicked out in the Eastern Conference finals last year,» Adebayo said. «I feel like a lot of guys are still wearing that.»