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A viral image capturing the moment when Miami Heat's standout Jimmy Butler and football legend Lionel Messi exchange handshakes has been circulating on social media. Their unexpected encounter has sent the internet into a frenzy, eliciting diverse reactions from sports enthusiasts.
The picture featuring Butler alongside Messi has been shared by NBA Memes, jokingly suggesting that the Heat forward stopped his car to engage in an impromptu chat with a fan.
Having linked to conspiracy theories that Butler was Michael Jordan's illegitimate son, a fan reposted the photo saying that Messi thinks he was shaking hands with a six-time NBA champion.
The football star has been known to not speak much English and this fan wonders what the language used in the conversation was.
Owning a $650 million net worth and worldwide recognition, a fan thinks that Butler is not on the same level as Messi.
The 36-year-old Messi is now playing for Inter Miami CF and some see that Butler is not as relevant in Miami with the football icon around.
One fan even posted the discrepancy of Messi's following on social media compared to Butler.
More than the complaints of football fans that Butler should have stepped out of the car to chat with Messi, some see this was proof that the football star is a down-to-earth person.
Standing at only five-foot-seven, some say that Butler remained in the car so he wouldn't dwarf Messi with his six-foot-seven frame.
Comparing Lionel Messi and Jimmy Butler's net worth and achievements
With the recent encounter of Lionel Messi and Jimmy Butler, many fans see this as an imbalance of achievements between the two sports personalities. Having won several championships including taking home the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Messi is arguably more accomplished than Butler, who has not yet won an NBA championship or an Olympic gold medal.
While Messi has a vast trophy list, Butler's best achievements are his six NBA All-Star citations and two NBA Finals appearances.
Looking at the amount of money both earned, the 34-year-old Jimmy Butler has a net worth of $80 million in 2024 while Lionel Messi has been valued at $650 million.
Nonetheless, both stars right now are in Miami representing their respective sports teams and have created quite some buzz in Florida, making the city a prime spot for sports fans to witness both their talents.
