Even though Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and Philadelphia 76ers guard Josh Richardson are no longer teammates, they still have the ability to engage in friendly rivalry.
That was evident in Adebayo’s response on social media about who wins more games of the popular video game NBA 2K.
Ok Let’s Stop These vicious Lies…
— 13am Adebayo💥 (@Bam1of1) August 2, 2019
Richardson was part of the huge trade between the Heat and 76ers that allowed Miami to acquire Jimmy Butler.
While the Heat were reluctant to trade a player with growing potential like Richardson, they had long sought the opportunity to acquire Butler. Such efforts began last year, when Butler was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. They renewed this offseason when the veteran was on the verge of becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Adebayo’s own developing talents on the court made him a possible trade piece in those conversations, but the Heat were even less inclined to deal him away. That’s primarily because following the trade of Hassan Whiteside, Adebayo is expected to see his role on the team grow during his third year in the NBA.
In Adebayo’s first two seasons, he’s averaged 8.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Those numbers grew steadily during his second campaign. In the latter portion of the 2018-19 season, it became clear that he was being groomed for bigger things for this season when he started 22 of the Heat’s final 23 games.
Prior to the start of their respective training camps, Adebayo and Richardson will be able to continue to offer evidence to support their claims.
However, given the fact that no official standings apparently exist that could officially decide the debate, the question is likely to go definitively unanswered.
