Miami Heat All-Star big man Bam Adebayo paid tribute to his teammate Udonis Haslem at practice on Tuesday.
Haslem missed the first day of training camp following the passing of his father and Adebayo wanted to honor him in the best way he could.
Heat star Bam Adebayo wore No.40 today at practice as a tribute to Udonis Haslem. UD missed day one of camp following the death of his father.
"Just showing my support for him. Letting the guys know he's here, even though he's not here. You still see 40 going around the gym." pic.twitter.com/mRd1H1FIf1
— Will Manso (@WillMansoWPLG) September 28, 2021
“It was just something I wanted to do,” Adebayo said. “I know he’s not here, and I know how much he wants to be here. Just showing my support for him. Letting the guys know he’s still here, even though he’s not here. You’ll still see 40 going around the gym.”
Haslem is the longest-tenured player on Miami’s roster and an important leader in the locker room.
Adebayo, who has taken a leadership role under Haslem’s guidance, clearly knows what it means to support his teammates.
The Heat are hoping for big things from Adebayo in the 2021-22 season.
Last season, the former University of Kentucky star put up 18.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 57.0 percent from the field.
