The Miami Heat are quickly turning into a team led by a two-headed monster of established star Jimmy Butler and up-and-coming star Bam Adebayo.
On Tuesday night, Butler and Adebayo made Heat history by becoming the first teammates to record triple-doubles in the same game. That effort was a big reason why Miami were able to beat the Atlanta Hawks in an overtime thriller.
Still enjoying the afterglow of the impressive outing, Butler offered incredible praise for his young teammate.
“I think he does everything better than I do,” Butler said of Adebayo. “I have the ball more so I get to shoot more shots, but when you’re talking about defending 1 through 5, he does that. When you’re talking about pinpoint passes, he does that. Finding guys in rhythm, knowing the scouting report, everybody. Man, he’s scary whenever he’s locked in like that. His energy, his preparation is contagious. He’s making sure everybody around here is doing that.
“So to say that he’s a version of me? No, I hope everybody is a version of him.”
Adebayo is having a breakout season unlike many other players in the league right now. In fact, following Tuesday’s game, NBA legend Charles Barkley stated that Adebayo deserves an All-Star Game bid.
Time will tell if that personal accolade comes this season. Given everything fans know about Adebayo, however, it stands to reason that he’s far more focused on team success than personal success.
It’s that characteristic that will likely make him a face of the Miami organization for many years to come.
