On Tuesday night, Jimmy Butler made his first return to Miami since his contentious split from the Heat during this year’s NBA trade deadline. Ahead of this highly anticipated matchup, an enterprising South Florida Sun Sentinel reporter uncovered a unique story outside the arena. Beat reporter Adam Lichtenstein came across a table in downtown Miami, where a supposed Sudanese artist named Akbar Domestique was advocating for the Heat to erect a statue of Butler. The artist not only crafted a display to win over fans but also showcased a lookbook of iconic Butler images as inspiration for the potential art installation.
Lichtenstein interviewed Domestique and published a story early Tuesday evening about the man’s efforts to tribute the former Miami star. However, for Lichtenstein and the Sun Sentinel sports department, the revelation that Domestique is not a real person but rather a spoof character created by Meadowlark Media personality and Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz guest host Amin El-Hassan came as a shock.
The Le Batard Show unveiled the prank early Wednesday, poking fun at the unsuspecting Lichtenstein. “We wanted to get a Jimmy Butler statue commissioned,” El-Hassan quipped. “We had the artist out there, his name is Akhbar Domestique … one of the people who approached us unsolicited was a reporter. He identified himself as media, so Akhbar agreed to the interview.”
Later that Wednesday, Lichtenstein took to X to admit his blunder. “Welp, looks like I got got,” he posted. “Shoutout @LeBatardShow.”
Welp, looks I got got. Shoutout @LeBatardShow.
— Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) March 26, 2025
The Sun Sentinel also published a correction on their website, which begins with the following Editor’s Note: “What appeared to be one man’s amusing tribute to former Heat star Jimmy Butler was actually a practical joke for ‘The Dan Le Batard Show.’ They got us. Original article below.” This incident showcases the playful antics of the Le Batard Show, a delight that long-time fans are no doubt familiar with. Domestique and El-Hassan deserve credit for pulling off such an elaborate prank.
