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Jimmy Butler had a special moment on Sunday night. The six-time All-Star met with soccer legend Ronaldinho as the Miami Heat visited the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. Butler sat out the game because of a left toe injury, but had his moment with one of the greatest Brazilian football players even as Raptors super fan Nav Bhatia looked on at the two.
It wasn't just Jimmy Butler who got the opportunity to pose with Ronaldinho. Butler's teammate Kyle Lowry, who made his first return to Toronto since being traded to the Heat last summer, also had the opportunity to meet and greet the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2006 Champions League winner. The Raptors' Pascal Siakam, who played soccer as a child, also stopped by for a quick handshake.
Ronaldinho has been an NBA fan for some time now. He made an appearance at the 2017 All-Star weekend as an ambassador of FC Barcelona, his former football club. The football icon exchanged jerseys with several NBA stars, including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and James Harden in New Orleans.
Miami Heat beat Toronto Raptors as Ronaldinho attends marquee NBA game
With Ronaldinho watching the game from a courtside seat adjacent to the Miami bench, the visitors were able to eke out a five-point (114-109) victory against their hosts. Lowry, who played nine seasons with the Raptors between 2012 and 2021, finished with 16 points and 10 assists while shooting four-of-eight (50.0%) from the field.
But the big stars of the game for Miami were Max Strus and Victor Oladipo. Strus scored all of his 23 points in the second half, including going seven-of-nine from long range, as he helped the visitors overcome a 10-point (45-55) halftime deficit. This is the fourth time this season that Strus has hit seven or more threes in a game for Miami.
Oladipo, too, made a sizeable impact off the bench for Miami. Playing only his seventh game of the season, Oladipo hit a season-high 21 points. The 2018 Most Improved Player also played a season-best 27 minutes, going 7-of-11 (63.6%) from the field and 6-of-9 (66.7%) from deep. It was Oladipo's Player's most efficient shooting game from the floor since he made his return on March 7 after sitting out the last 11 months due to a second quadriceps injury that has limited him over the past three NBA seasons.
Guess the Lakers players!
