Lando Norris may be far away from the kind of fame three-time champion, Max Verstappen is getting right now. Yet, Miami Heat and NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler showered praise on him, after spending time and interacting with the Brit in the McLaren garage. After feeling at home and dressing himself in Papaya colors, the NBA star pledged his allegiance to the Norris army. He made it evident ahead of the Sprint race and gave three simple reasons for his admiration.
As seen on X posted by user @ln4norris, during the Sprint race’s grid walk, Butler was seen wearing a McLaren t-shirt with a handwritten “Lando” on it. When asked about the t-shirt he revealed he would only answer to being called Lando, not Jimmy.
When asked why, he revealed the three reasons and said, “That’s who I aspire to be. He’s great, he’s young, he’s a little bit attractive, and so I think it’s good to be him right now.”
“he’s great, he’s young, he’s a little bit (very) attractive and so i think it’s good to be him right now”
cause at the end of the day, jimmy butler is one of us! pic.twitter.com/LArJK642Jj
— ray (@ln4norris) May 5, 2024
Jimmy Butler is well and truly aboard the Lando Norris hype train. The Woking outfit posted a video on Instagram showcasing how the 34-year-old felt at home. The comfort he felt in the Papaya team’s motorhome and his interaction turned him into a fan.
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It’s the personality that turned him into a fan because Butler has already had a taste of Norris‘s abilities behind the wheel. In fact, the 24-year-old has come a long way as the two met for the first time back in his rookie season.
Jimmy Butler gets a mini heart attack during a hot lap with Lando Norris behind the wheel
Back at the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix, Butler met a rookie Lando Norris. The two had a limited interaction but it was during a hot lap at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This is exactly how Butler was already aware of the racing qualities of the then 19-year-old. It was evident in the video posted on YouTube capturing all the NBA star’s reactions.
The teenager made the Miami Heat star scream and squeal during the hot lap. Before even strapping on his seatbelt, Butler told Norris to not go too fast. Obviously, his wish wasn’t taken into consideration as the Brit put the pedal to the floor from the get-go. The American made it evident from his screaming and the “No no no no”s.
The NBA star even confessed he would pass out while he was being thrown around in a passenger seat he could barely fit in. A completely different fast-paced experience from a fast-paced game of basketball. The hot lap clearly left an impact on the Olympic gold medalist as he was back for more in the latest edition of the Miami GP.
