Jimmy Butler found himself in an unexpected confrontation this week after an angry bettor pulled up on him and unleashed a profanity-laced tirade over a missed prop bet.
A video circulated online Sunday showing the Golden State Warriors star walking down a local street with earbuds in and a cup of coffee when a man in a nearby car began yelling at him, per Larry Brown Sports. The bettor filmed the entire moment and shouted insults at Butler, calling him a “green apple-looking a–” while Butler wore a green outfit.
Butler turned around and walked toward the car. The bettor kept yelling at him, tossing out more profanities as the clip continued. The video then cut to the man claiming he had put $3,000 on Butler and needed him to score 30 points to cash out. He repeatedly asked Butler, “You work for Vegas?” while calling him a “b—h.”
The bettor said, “Bro, I put $3,000 to win 30. Why you ain’t have 30 points? Jimmy Butler, why you didn’t have the 30 points? You were supposed to go OVER bi-ch. You work for Vegas?”
What the Bettor Meant With the $30K Claim
Based on his comments, the man expected a $30,000 payout from a $3,000 wager on Butler to hit the 30-point mark. Several outlets reported that such a return likely came from a parlay since typical player prop odds rarely climb that high unless multiple legs are combined. But it could also fit the structure of NBA milestone markets, which offer higher payouts for 20-plus or 30-plus point totals because those targets usually sit well above a player’s nightly average.
The timing of the clip remains unclear. The Warriors are in the middle of a six-game road trip, with recent stops against the Spurs in San Antonio and the Pelicans in New Orleans. Butler has delivered a strong start to his season with averages of 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Three games ago, Butler scored 28 points in the first of two matchups against the Spurs. That performance stood as his closest brush with the 30-point mark this season outside of his opening night explosion against the Lakers. The clip surfaced shortly after that Spurs game, which makes the timeline match the bettor’s frustration.
Butler has crossed the 30-point barrier only twice during his regular season run with the Warriors. The bettor needed a rare scoring night, and with Butler falling just one basket short, the man’s anger became clear in the footage.
Players Speak Out as Incidents Continue to Rise
This incident represents another example of the tension between players and the rising sports gambling culture now woven into major leagues. Several stars have talked about dealing with harassment from bettors, including Kevin Durant and Jaylen Brown.
Two years ago, Chris Boucher shared that a man blamed him for losing a parlay and sent him a racist message, per Basketball Network. “Somebody said, ‘I chose the wrong slave today,’ literally sent me that message,” Boucher told Yahoo Sports Canada. His exchange happened online, but Butler faced a confrontation directly on the street.
Butler had earbuds in during the encounter. That detail may have limited how much he actually heard because the man hurled insults nonstop. Had Butler caught every word, the interaction might have escalated further.
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