Rumors

It's a mentality that led Butler to choose No. 10 for what might be the final chapter of his career, having worn Nos. 21, 22 and 23 in his previous stops around the NBA. "It's a football, Neymar-, Messi-type number for me," said Butler, whose soccer fandom was once profiled in The New York Times by the founder of this Substack. "I feel like the people I consider the GOATs, they were 10," Butler said. "So that's my shout to them."

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NBA legend Kevin Durant recently chimed in on the football GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Durant recently appeared on 'Impaulsive by Logan Paul' along with YouTuber IShowSpeed and discussed the Portuguese legend. The episode also featured 39-year-old bestselling author and host of the Night Shift, Majlak. The three guests discussed a range of issues before Majlak asked Kevin Durant (via talkSPORT): "Do you follow football, also known in America as Soccer?""Sometimes," Durant replied."Who would you say is the GOAT of football," pressed The Night Shift host. Kevin Durant pondered and answered: "Ronaldo."

SportsKeeda

Josh Hart: Messi would have made it

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Lionel Messi on Michael Jordan: "It seems to me, in terms of sports, he's the greatest there is (...) But after having seen his series and getting to know a bit more about him, you know, "The Last Dance", it just blows your mind, it's a masterpiece, it's impressive. Well, that also brought me closer to him and to understand a bit more about who he was. It's a pity that I couldn't live through that era in person, because I would've loved it. Honestly, I don't know much about basketball either, nor am I a big follower, but I think he was something different in all sports, not just in basketball. And well, I have a huge admiration for him. And since so many people have asked me for photos, I couldn't get one with him, it would be something nice."

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ClutchPoints: Jimmy Butler and Lionel Messi made an appearance in Bad Boys Trailer 😂 (via @BadBoys / IG) pic.twitter.com/rBXV5PZJMD

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Tim Reynolds: Lionel Messi is in the Heat’s house.

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Lionel Messi has emerged as the most marketable athlete in the world, surpassing basketball icon LeBron James, according to the latest rankings from SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable (50MM) list, reported by GOAL. Michael Long, editorial director at SportsPro, shared insights on Messi's rise to the top during an episode of the Footballco Business Podcast. “It's a really interesting dynamic to see Messi in America. A match made in marketing heaven.”

Clutch Points

One of the streets of Miami was blessed to have two sports icons there at the same time as there was an unexpected encounter that caught the attention of many as the NBA's Jimmy Butler and soccer's Lionel Messi crossed paths, seemingly by chance in the Floridian metropolis on March 9. Butler, star player of the Miami Heat in the NBA, stopped his car to say hello to Messi, the Inter Miami standout and ex-Barcelona attacker, who was walking down the sidewalk.

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Tim Reynolds: Gregg Popovich on Lionel Messi: “He’s great.” It’s now official.

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Maybe it’s not so much a track that Stephen Curry transforms every court into. Maybe in another world he’s in a Warriors kit, not a jersey, racing down the pitch. Gary Payton II knows the similarities between Curry and Damian Lillard firsthand, and the differences as well. In Steph though, Payton sees basketball’s Lionel Messi. “He reads a defense,” Payton said to NBC Sports Bay Area. “He's kind of like Messi.”

NBC Sports Bay Area

They bob, they weave, slicing through a defense a select few ever have in any sport, unloading from distances only they can dare try. Curry and Messi, always making us rethink how we look at their respective sports. “Messi walks around on the pitch for a good couple minutes,” Payton continued. “He observes the field, you know, sees where all the weaknesses are and then he'll start picking it up. Once he starts running, that means he's found something and he's going. That's just like 30. With the great ones like that, you know, their mind works differently and they see things that, you know, normal guys don't see.”

NBC Sports Bay Area

Clutch Points: The list of celebrities planning to attend Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s match in Los Angeles against LAFC is STACKED 🔥 Some notable athletes include: 🏀 LeBron James 🏀 Magic Johnson 🏀 James Harden ⚾️ Mookie Betts ⚾️ Clayton Kershaw 🏈 Caleb Williams (via @herculezg) pic.twitter.com/pJlhi5Oy6L

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Lionel Messi's message to LeBron James after Friday's meeting: "Thanks a lot brother!!! It was really nice to see you 🤝😃" #Lakers #InterMiamiCF

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Clutch Points: Lionel Messi hugs LeBron James before his Inter Miami debut 👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/nPTXvWKwqX

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