Miami Heat blamed for Jimmy Butler's demise in ploy to steal Coco Gauff

The Miami Heat have their share of high-profile fans, but they need to be wary since one of the most recognizable is being pried away.

Former franchise star turned nemesis Jimmy Butler was caught openly trying to deceive tennis champion Coco Gauff in Indian Hills, California, where he dropped on the BNP Paribas Open to watch the action and visit with some of the players.

Gauff, who was born in Boca Raton and spent much of her childhood in Delray Beach, has been Heat Nation through and through. Her father, Corey, played at Georgia State, so she’s grown up with basketball and has been to many games over the years. Butler, still hobbling around on crutches after undergoing surgery for his January ACL tear, ran into her on the west coast and employed deception to turn her against the Heat and steal her fandom for the Golden State Warriors.

“By the way, your team hurt me [Jimmy Butler], by the way. The Heat hurt me. Yeah, the Heat hurt me. Switch alliances. And remember, Steph [Curry] is on my team now so like, everybody love Steph.”

Jimmy Butler to Coco Gauff 😅

(via @BNPPARIBASOPEN)

pic.twitter.com/dW1QmQSom9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 9, 2026

Check out the footage from Indian Hills above.

Butler jokingly blamed his injury on Miami, who he was facing when his unfortunate injury occurred. What was hilarious is that Gauff responded to his “your team hurt me” bit with “I know they did, I haven’t been to a game since.”

It’s likely she was aware of the back-and-forth that occurred over a tumultuous few months prior to Butler’s Feb. 2024 trade to the Warriors, so it was impossible to tell whether she was referencing that or Miami being the team he was injured against.

“Switch alliances!,” Butler joking yells in the conversation. “And remember, Steph (Curry), Steph is on my team now. So, like, everybody loves Steph.”

Gauff agreed she loves Curry, which prompted Butler to declare her a Warriors fan now. The 21-year-old with a pair of wins in majors already under her belt, covers her face in mortified mock shame and told Butler she’ll always root for him though.

It was a great little exchange, but Heat Nation can rest easy that Gauff is still one of them, despite Butler closing out the clip telling those that caught the footage that the tennis star is a Warriors fan now.

She’s in season now, but Miami would be wise to comp her some tickets or get her into a luxury box next time she happens to be in the same city they’re playing in, if only to make sure she doesn’t stray.

Butler isn’t expected to return to action until some time in the 2026-27 season, hoping to make it back sooner than later once he’s fully healthy. Unless he’s moved in the offseason, Butler will be 37-year-old by the time he returns for Golden State.