Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler Cheers On Miami Grand Prix Open Winner Lando Norris

Shandel Richardson | May 6, 2024

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has always used down time to attend some of the world's biggest sporting events.

From major golf to tennis tournaments, Butler is often in the mix. On Sunday, he made his presence at the Miami Grand Prix Open in Miami Gardens. And no one was happier to see Lando Norris win than Butler.

The two have been good friends since 2019.

Before the race, Butler posted on Instagram a video of him hanging with Norris and his pit crew.

Butler said, “I’m Lando! Y’all get out my way!

In a pre-race interview, Butler explained why he's such a fan of Norris.

“That’s who I aspire to be," Butler said. "He’s great, he’s young, he’s a little bit attractive, and so, I think it’s good to be him right now."

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For Norris, it was his first F1 victory. He interrupted the dominance of Max Verstappen.

“I’m just really proud," Norris said. "A lot of people, I guess, doubted me along the way. I’ve made a lot of mistakes over my last five years, my short career, but today we put it all together so this is all for the team. I started with McLaren because I believe in them and today proved exactly that.”

While Butler is dealing with the disappointment of the Heat losing to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs, he could still celebrate his friend's victory.

Norris said he had a good feeling of winning before the race.

“Finally. I am so happy," Norris said. "I knew it. I knew it when I came in this morning,” Norris said. “And I nailed it.”