- Report: Some inside Miami Heat organization think O.G. Anunoby is already a top-20 2-way player
- Report: Miami Heat interested in P.J Washington
- Report: Miami Heat trade Dewayne Dedmon to San Antonio Spurs
- Report: There’s been a lot of tension between Kyle Lowry and Miami Heat recently
- Report: Miami Heat expected to pursue Kevin Durant if he demands trade
- Report: Miami Heat making Bam Adebayo untouchable in trade talks
- Report: Miami Heat dangling trade package of Duncan Robinson, Dewayne Dedmon and 1st-round pick
- Report: Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder are possible landing spots for Dewayne Dedmon
- Report: Heat, 76ers and Celtics among teams that have inquired about Nerlens Noel recently
- Kyle Lowry’s latest update on his knee raises concerns about how long he’ll be out
LeBron James has ‘tremendous regard’ for Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo
- Updated: December 29, 2022
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat duo of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo apparently garners some deep respect from one of the NBA’s greatest players ever, former Heat superstar LeBron James.
LeBron has tremendous regard for Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo as competitors.
That I know.
— Five Reasons Sports (@5ReasonsSports) December 29, 2022
James and the Los Angeles Lakers came to Miami on Wednesday night, losing in a 112-98 decision. In that Heat victory, Butler and Adebayo combined for 50 points, with Butler’s 27 points matching James’ game-high scoring output.
The idea that Butler and Adebayo are looked upon as great competitors isn’t a surprise, especially in the case of Butler. Despite battling a string of injuries, Butler played close to 35 minutes and also contributed six steals, five rebounds and four assists.
Adebayo also delivered some notable numbers after missing the Heat’s game on Monday because of an illness. Playing just under 39 minutes against the Lakers, Adebayo notched a double-double by hauling down 14 rebounds and also delivered a pair of blocks.
James is now in his 20th NBA season and has been dealing with Butler since the 2011-12 campaign. Adebayo entered the league after being drafted by the Heat in 2017.
One of the reasons why James likely has such respect for the Heat duo is because, for much of his career, he’s been one of the NBA’s most durable players. Through last night’s contest, James has played in 1,393 regular season games and has also played in 266 postseason contests, the equivalent of more than three additional NBA seasons.
Numbers like that can potentially wear down the competitive instincts of any player. Also, the types of massive contracts that James, Butler and Adebayo are currently playing under can lead some players to ease up or essentially take nights off under the guise of getting rest.
That sort of mindset clearly doesn’t exist among that trio of players, which helps explain the admiration that James apparently feels toward Butler and Adebayo.
It’s highly likely that the feelings from Butler and Adebayo are mutual.
Yet, for now, Butler and Adebayo need to focus on the Heat’s five-game road trip, which gets underway on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets.
Related Posts
About Brad Sullivan
You must be logged in to post a comment Login