Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler Explains Why He Offered Fan Once In A Lifetime Experience

Butler said he was "devastated" when he couldn't play in front of huge fan Wednesday against Boston

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler is known as a player who only takes off games when it's absolutely necessary. 

He dealt with back stiffness before Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics, so he decided to rest. He ended up regretting it after a hearing the story of a fan named Felipe who traveled more than 4,000 miles from Argentina to Miami to see his favorite player. 

The Heat provided the fan with the ultimate game-day experience giving him some autographed memorabilia and allowed him to take a courtside picture with Gabe Vincent. 

It wasn't enough for Butler. 

On the following day, he invited the family to Miami-Dade Arena for a meet-and-greet and photos. At Thursday's practice, Butler explained his reasoning. 

"Honestly, I was devastated," Butler said of missing Wednesday's game. "I don't want to miss games. I'm glad I did get to meet him, talk to him about it. He's a huge basketball fan. He plays basketball himself. He actually does everything. He skateboards, he surfs. He's an incredible kid so I'm glad we could get to spend some together." 

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Shandel Richardson covers the Miami Heat for Inside The Heat.

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