Jimmy Butler's Kids: All About the NBA Star's Daughter Rylee and Son Brayan

Mar. 15, 2025

Jimmy Butler (#22) of the Miami Heat reacts during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs. Right: From Starting 5 a new Netflix series.Photo:Megan Briggs/Getty Images/Netflix

Megan Briggs/Getty Images/Netflix

Jimmy Butlerhas a softer side as a devoted father to his daughter, Rylee Butler, 5, and son Brayan Butler, 2.

The NBA star has been rumored to be dating Kaitlin Nowak since 2019, the same year they welcomed daughter Rylee. In 2022, Butler and Nowak welcomed Brayan.

Rylee’s birth came at a significant time for Butler, coinciding with his first season with the Miami Heat after spending just one season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite the demands of his basketball career, Butler has made it clear that his kids are and always will be his top priority.

Both Brayan and Rylee appear in Netflix’sStarting 5, a documentary following five basketball stars in the 2023-2024 season. In the first episode, Butler showed off how he started his morning with the toddlers, with Rylee even boasting she knew her dad’s favorite type of coffee was a cappuccino.

“My kids, they really set everything in like proportion, the way that I look at things because when I come home, they don’t care if I had a triple-double or if I fouled out in the first three minutes of the game, I’m just their dad,” he said in the show. “They could care less about anything else. Whenever I’m home, I try to the best of my ability to be their dad first.”

In February 2025, Butler wastraded to the Golden State Warriorsafter a tumultuous six-year run with the Miami Heat.

From Rylee’s favorite tennis player to their involvement in the Netflix documentary, here’s everything to know about Jimmy Butler’s kids, Rylee and Brayan.

Rylee was born in 2019

Jimmy Butler and his two children in ‘Starting 5.'.Netflix

Netflix

Rylee was born on Oct. 23, 2019, in Miami. Her arrival marked a transformative moment for Butler, who has since prioritized his role as a father alongside his demanding basketball career.

In October 2024, Nowak celebrated Rylee’s fifth birthday with a sweet post onInstagram.

“It’s my best friend’s BIRTHDAY! My OG. You are more than everything I’ve ever wanted,” she wrote alongside a carousel of images. “The spiciest girl with the kindest heart. Being your mom has been my greatest joy.”

Rylee’s birth coincided with her dad’s first season with the Miami Heat

Jimmy Butler, #22 of the Miami Heat, dribbles the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on April 7, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana.Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Rylee’s birth came at a special time, right at the start of Butler’s first season with the Miami Heat. The significant moment in Butler’s life required him to balance the demands of joining a new team with the responsibilities of being a first-time father.

Demonstrating his dedication as a new dad, Butler prioritized his daughter over his professional commitments. The NBA star missed the season opener and the first three games of the Heat’s 2019 season to be with Nowak for Rylee’s birth.

Butler quietly welcomed Brayan

Jimmy Butler and Brayan in Netflix’s ‘Starting 5’.Netflix

Butler and Nowak welcomed a son, Brayan, on June 30, 2022. The little boy appeared alongside Rylee inStarting 5, playing with their father.

They are their dad’s “why”

In a heartfelt interview withABC Newsin June 2023, Butler revealed the profound impact his children have had on his life. He stated that Rylee and Brayan are his “why,” the driving force behind everything he does.

“I always talk about my ‘why,’ and my ‘why’ are my kids," the basketball legend said about who he’s really playing for. “Like everything I do now, I want to make it home to them. I want to make sure they’re safe.”

Kyle Lowry is Rylee’s godfather

Kyle Lowry (#7) and Jimmy Butler (#22) of the Miami Heat watched the game against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Kaseya Center on April 24, 2023, in Miami, Florida.Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Megan Briggs/Getty Images

During an April 2021 episode ofThe Artist and The Athletepodcast, Butler revealed that Kyle Lowry, a former Miami Heat player and close friend of Butler’s, is Rylee’s godfather.

When asked in the interview what NBA player he would like to go up against, Butler answered that it had to be Lowry. He admitted that the 76er is not only one of his “absolute best friends,” but has also taken on the important role of godfather to his daughter.

“He’s the godfather of my daughter. As competitive as it is, we’re always laughing, we’re always joking around. I would say something else, but then the NBA is gonna look at this and be like, ‘Oh my god, he’s tampering,’ ” he said about his former teammate.

Rylee and Brayan love spending time with their dad

After some chuckling is heard in the background — seemingly coming from Rylee — Butler asks, “Rylee, is that funny to you?” to which the youngster responds with a sweet “Yes!” At the end, the video shows Butler’s finished painted face, which resembled a pirate, eye patch and all.

When asked about the first thing he’ll do after the NBA playoffs in 2023, he toldBleacher Report, “I’m gonna play with my daughter, man. I love her to death, I miss her — I’ve been away for a very long time.”

He continued, “We’re going to get ice cream, we’re going to the park, we’re doing a lot of different stuff.”

Rylee’s favorite tennis player is Emma Raducanu

Professional tennis player Emma Raducanu and Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat posed for a photograph after the game against the New York Knicks on March 25, 2022 at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida.Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images

Issac Baldizon/NBAE/Getty Images

Rylee is interested in another professional sport, tennis, and her favorite player is Emma Raducanu.

In March 2022, during the Miami Open, Butler hosted Raducanu at his Big Face Coffee pop-up shop, telling the young tennis star that she is “my daughter’s favorite tennis player.”

Raducanu seemingly appreciated the compliment and commented on his excellent coffee-making skills, saying, “He did very good. The coffee art was something.”

source: people.com