DINH DOONG

Jimmy Butler has revealed that he thinks Latin pop queen  is ‘incredible’ amid dating rumors swirling around the potential couple ahead of the start of the 2023-24  season.

The 34-year-old, Heat forward was seen hanging out with the ‘Whenever, Wherever’ singer over the summer following her split with former  defender, , last year.

What’s more, is that Shakira relocated to live in Miami with her two children, Milan and Sasha, this year, and was seen cheering on the Heat, particularly Butler, many times in the past.

The Colombian has been also linked with dating Formula One star , who she spent time with after the completion of the Miami Grand Prix in May.

Asked about speculation that he and ‘Shak’ are coupling up, Butler, who’s entering his 13th NBA season, said: ‘she’s an incredible human being and an incredible talent.

‘But you never know what people are doing so people just make stuff up,’ he further told Rolling Stone magazine. ‘Just because we are friends, she lives in Miami, and her sons are big basketball fans – that doesn’t mean anybody’s dating.’

‘Just because people hang out doesn’t mean anybody’s dating.

‘But it gives everybody something to talk about, so y’all take it and y’all run with it.

‘She’s very, very cool and that’s all I got!’

During the interview, Butler also revealed how much his daughter, Rylee, who was born in 2019, means to him.

According to Hello!, the six-time All-Star has been in long-term relationship with rarely seen girlfriend, Kaitlin Nowak, ‘for years’.

The couple do not follow each other on social media and do not share photos of themselves taken together, as they prefer to keep their romance out of the limelight.

Nowak, 32, is believed to be from Nebraska and holds a degree in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, from the University of Nebraska.

She is reportedly a model, lifestyle influencer, and entrepreneur, and currently lives in Los Angeles, California.