A day after Jimmy Butler suffered a right knee meniscal injury in Houston that
would require surgery, everyone would have understood if he didn’t show up to an
event the next day in Minneapolis.
That might even be an expectation for someone who could miss more than a month
(his official timeline is listed as “indefinitely).
But not for Butler. This was too important.
On Saturday, before the Wolves took on the Bulls, Butler met with fan Matthew
Jong from Seattle. Matthew is more than just a huge Jimmy Butler fan. He’s a
14-year-old who is battling aplastic anemia, a rare condition in which the body
stops producing enough new blood cells. This causes Matthew feeling tired and
puts him at a higher risk of infections and uncontrolled bleeding.
The two were put in touch through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Matthew Long, a @MakeaWish fan from Seattle whose dream was to meet
@JimmyButler, had his #WishDay come true tonight! pic.twitter.com/KpWIXGAPeB
Butler met with Matthew and his family, joked about their favorite sports
(surprisingly, not basketball) and Butler signed Matthew’s Statement Edition
jersey. Right away, Matthew was shy but warmed up and even cracked a few jokes
of his own.
What an incredible moment. @JimmyButler having real conversations with Matthew,
who is battling aplastic anemia, before last night’s game.The @MakeAWish meetup
came less than 24 hours after Butler suffered a meniscal injury.Some things are
bigger than basketball. pic.twitter.com/UQGiwct6Si
Matthew’s family toured the Timberwolves offices, sat on the Timberwolves bench
pregame, ate dinner in the Lexus Courtside Club and watched the Wolves beat the
Bulls in front of a sold-out crowd.
It was truly a day that the Jong family, or Butler, won’t forget.
Some things are bigger than basketball.
Player: Jimmy Butler
Media Content:
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Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Minnesota Timberwolves, Jimmy Butler, Minnesota
Timberwolves
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Taxonomy: Community February
Story Link:
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