Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler reveals he lost a $30,000 bet to Antonio Brown and Russell Wilson

Jimmy Butler is seeking to lead the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals for the second time in the last three years, after failing to defeat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 Finals. The Heat are currently taking on the Boston Celtics in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals and would take on either the Golden State Warriors or Dallas Mavericks, if they were to advance.

Jimmy Butler is one of the best players in the NBA right now, including being one of the best lockdown defenders in the game. While his defense has been elite on the NBA basketball court, he wasn't as successful when he attempted to show off his defensive skills on the football field.

On an episode of Hot Ones in 2019, Butler revealed to host Sean Evans that he lost a bet when joining NFL superstars Russell Wilson and Antonio Brown during a football practice. Butler bet $30,000 that he could lock down wide receiver Antonio Brown in coverage and prevent quarterback Russell Wilson from completing a pass to him. It apparently didn't go well for Jimmy Butler, who had this to say.

"I still think I owe (Antonio Brown) like $30,000 because I made a bet that I could stop him from catching the ball in the red zone. You're talking about the best receiver in the league and then Russ at quarterback. I'm just saying."

The defensive-minded Butler claimed that he held his own and implied that he could cover most combinations of wide receivers and quarterbacks, despite not being a professional football player, but the skill of Antonio Brown and Russell Wilson was too much for him to overcome. Butler also boldly claimed that Brown is the best receiver in the NFL.

Jimmy Butler calls Antonio Brown "the best receiver in the league"

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown

When Jimmy Butler made the statement in 2019 that Antonio Brown was "the best receiver in the league," it was completely justified by Brown's consistently dominant performances. During a six-year stretch entering the 2019 NFL season, Brown went to the Pro Bowl six consecutive times while also being chosen as an All-Pro five times.

Brown exceeded 100 receptions and 1,250 receiving yards in all six seasons during his elite run. He led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in two different seasons while also totaling the most touchdowns in one of them. It was completely fair for Butler to call Brown the best at the time he said it.