Getty Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat reacts after he thought there should have been a foul against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 23, 2021 in New York City.
With a 6-12 record, it’s clear the Miami Heat are not having the great start to the season that they expected after making it to the NBA Finals last year, and the team suffered an especially upsetting loss against the Clippers on Thursday night, as Los Angeles was playing without superstars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
The Heat’s current losing streak is frustrating for not just the fans, the players feel it too. Following the Heat’s 109-105 loss to the Clippers on January 28, Bam Adebayo said that he was not happy with the team’s current standing in the Eastern Conference, but chose to focus on the positives.
The 23-year-old power forward commented on how amazing it was to finally have fans back at AmericanAirlines Arena for the first time in 323 days. He promised them that the Heat is going to turn things around.
“It just felt good to have Heat Nation in there,” Adebayo said. “Heat Nation, we going to figure this out, just bear with us, we going to figure this out, I can promise you that … I know they’re tired of seeing us lose, we’re tired of losing, and we gotta figure this out.”
One disgruntled Heat fan, however, was not buying what Adebayo was selling. He retweeted Adebayo’s quote and wrote, “Bear with us @Bam1of1? YOU ARE THE MAX PLAYER, so act as one! You need to take more than 10 shots per game man.. You playing like a B**** right now!”
While this man probably didn’t expect the Heat star to respond, Adebayo saw his comment and clapped back with a comment of his own. “Watch Your Mouth Sucka.”
TwitterBam Adebayo responds to an angry fan about his performance against the LA Clippers on January 28, 2021.
The 6-foot-9 Kentucky alum has been on a hot streak lately, and is averaging 20.1 points a game thus far this season, he did not play well on Thursday night. Adebayo shot just 16 points on 6-of-16 shots.
Bam Is Absolutely Proving That He’s Worth His $163 Max Contract Extension
GettyBam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat dunks as Kevin Durant #7 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets defend during the first half at Barclays Center on January 25, 2021.
Despite one disgruntled fan, Adbeyao is proving himself as one of the best centers in the entire NBA this season, a not-so-easy feat while playing without five-time ALl-Star Jimmy Butler, the latter of whom has been sidelined since January 9 due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
The former first-round pick signed a 5-year max extension worth $163 million in November, proof that the Heat believes he is a bonafide star and worth every cent.
On January 15, Heat’s head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke about his undeniable talent:
Here’s my question about Bam. If I asked you which year has he improved the most, you’d have a tough time answering that. He continues to exponentially improve every single season and as good as he was last year as an All-Star, he’s improved 10x on top of that. You’re looking at a superstar right now — and that’s a credit to his work ethic. He’s a beast and that hasn’t changed. He’s working harder now that he’s gotten a contract.
Coach Spo Is Also Thrilled to Finally Have Fans Back in the Arena
GettyHead coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat looks on during the second half of the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on January 9, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Adebayo wasn’t the only person excited to have fans back in the arena on Thursday, Spoelstra was thrilled to know Heat nation would be in the stands.
“We think it’s an incredible step,” Coach Spo said. “I’ve said before we have to continue to be vigilant, and do things with discipline, with a lot of thought -— and always keep in mind health and safety as a No. 1 factor but having people in the building, that’s what our guys play for, for the fans, and to have a little bit of that environment should be good.”
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