The latest tennis ball-colored variant is part of Butler’s Li-Ning JB2 series, which will debut alongside the 2023-24 NBA season.
Basketball’s biggest tennis enthusiast has a new pair of shoes. Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat is releasing a tennis-inspired hue of his iconic shoes.
Butler released the Li-Ning JB1 sneaker with Chinese garment company Li-Ning last year. The latest tennis ball-colored variant is part of Butler’s Li-Ning JB2 series, which will debut alongside the 2023-24 NBA season. The “MIA” logo is on the heel, and Butler’s own emblem is on the tongue.
The shoe’s release comes after Butler’s love for tennis bloomed at this year’s US Open, where the NBA All-Star was an omnipresent presence on site at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
His week began with ballperson training, as he was part of the crew for the celebrity tennis exhibiton “Stars of the Open” during US Open Fan Week, and he was seen cheering on stars such as Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff throughout the first week of the main draw.
“Jimmy Butler, he’s come to a couple of my matches,” Gauff explained at the time. “I’m still thinking to myself, ‘Man, this guy is busy, why is he coming to watch me play?'” It’s a fantastic experience. “I guess I’m just happy and honored.”
He’s subsequently returned to the court (the tennis court), joking on social media that he’s ready to be the world No. 1.
Gauff also admitted to being inspired by Butler’s never-sаy-Ԁie attitude on the court, which she displayed throughout her summer surge and title-winning run in New York, where she won four three-set matches.
“He has that mentality really of, you know, no matter what the odds are against him, he’s gonna give it his all,” she said. “I think he’s just one of those athletes whose mentality improves his game.” You have people that are talented but lack the mentality.
“I believe he has the talent and mentаlity.” It’s only getting him further away. In reality, nothing could have changed that much in two weeks, or between Wimbledon and the next tournament I played. It was simply a mentаl issue. That’s what I’ve taken away from watching Jimmy compete throughout the years.”