- Antoine Walker says Heat would have had a better shot than Celtics at beating Warriors in Finals
- Report: Miami Heat have interest in trading for Jae Crowder
- Report: Heat remain threats to land Kevin Durant from Nets, who will take ‘every last asset’ in any potential deal
- Kyle Lowry on being called thick: ‘It used to bother me a lot…now, I don’t care’
- Video: Omer Yurtseven flexes his offseason grind as he prepares for 2022-23 campaign
- LeBron James and Bam Adebayo show full-fledged support of Markieff Morris showing out during offseason action
- Report: Miami Heat scheduled to face San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City this season
- Jae Crowder’s latest social media activity hints at him wanting to return to Miami Heat
- NBA insider says he hasn’t gotten sense that Miami Heat want to part ways with Bam Adebayo for Donovan Mitchell
- Bam Adebayo’s heartbroken reaction to Brittney Griner being sentenced to 9 years in prison
Pat Riley Relates Bam Adebayo to Alonzo Mourning and Dwayne Wade
- Updated: February 13, 2020

Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo has enjoyed a breakout 2019-20 season and will play in the first All-Star Game of his career this Sunday.
All his success this season has clearly earned him an incredible level of respect from Heat team president Pat Riley.
In fact, Riley recently went so far as to compare Adebayo to Heat legends Alonzo Mourning, Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade.
“He’s the Zo [Alonzo Mourning],” Riley told ESPN’s Zach Lowe. “He’s the UD [Udonis Haslem]. He’s the Dwyane [Wade]. They were standard-bearers. Bam is that person. He is the real deal.”
To put Riley’s rare level of praise into context, Mourning, Haslem and Wade are arguably the three most decorated and beloved players in team history.
While Adebayo has a lot to achieve before truly being ranked among the Heat’s best all-time players, there’s no doubt that he is well on his way.
This season, Adebayo has served as an anchor on defense and explosive playmaker on offense. He has averaged 15.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game this season.
While he entered the season as a potential breakout candidate, he will likely end the season widely considered as one of the most promising young stars in the league. At just 22 years old, there’s no doubt that he will continue to improve.
For Adebayo, this current season could also serve as the first time he experiences major minutes in a playoff run. While he appeared in the playoffs with the Heat in 2018, he averaged just 15.4 minutes per game in five games.
The Heat expect to play far more than five games in this year’s postseason, and Adebayo certainly expects to enjoy far greater usage.
Hopefully, that experience will give Adebayo greater confidence moving forward in his career.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login