“Bam, I’m still here boy. Just to let you know, I'm going to continue to push the team to go for the title. Bam, Jimmy, Tyler, Niko, Jaime, Josh, I’ll always have your back.”
Udonis Haslem couldn't help but have a little word for his successor as he finished his speech during his jersey retirement ceremony at the Kaseya Center on Friday evening. Since his withdrawal from the floors, it is Bam Adebayo who was promoted to captain of the formationEric Spoelstra.
And the American international pivot has had the time to realize the importance of this responsibility, only with regard to the constant pressure imposed on him by UD since he left the locker room!
“Being captain is not a responsibility that one does not take lightly. Because the captain must be the one who sets the example. We don't talk here, we act! Here, we don't focus on what we hear, but on what we see. If you want to be the captain, you have to be that guy who sets the tone,” recalled old post 4.
Be up to the task
For his part, the person concerned wanted to thank Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade for having guided and inspired him to the point of convincing him that he had the shoulders to take up their torch.
“I’m the captain now, that means everything,” slipped Bam Adebayo on the sidelines of the Florida derby on Sunday against the Magic. “Coming into this league, I didn’t think I would be captain. I just told myself that I would try to find my place, make a few dollars and move on with my life. But he had such an impact on me that I was like, 'Okay, I can be a captain in this type of franchise.' Since the first day I met him, I too wanted to be that person who will help others reach the heights and overcome challenges. I feel privileged to have had a captain like that in my life. Him and D-Wade, because they taught me so much about this game, they showed me so much affection. Honestly, I could never give them all that back.”
If Bam Adebayo has had time to learn, alongside Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, don't count on the latter to release him into the wild! The “Vet” is constantly present to continue to guide him, but also to remind him of his duty of excellence in order to keep the Heat at the top.
“He's going to send me a message at 3 a.m. about a lost ball in the first two minutes of the game before. But it says a lot about the person he is, how obsessed he is with the game, and not just with winning but also with bringing us that NBA championship experience.”added Bam Adebayo. “He wants us to go after a title, and he wants us to be able to feel what it feels like to win one. So the most important thing for us is really to adhere to that. He's one of my best friends. I talk to him almost every day, and my job is to make that happen.”
There is no doubt that the disappointment in last night's Florida derby will again earn Bam Adebayo sharp clarifications from his former mentor…
| Bam Adebayo | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | MIA | 69 | 20 | 51.2 | 0.0 | 72.1 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 6.9 |
| 2018-19 | MIA | 82 | 23 | 57.6 | 20.0 | 73.5 | 2.0 | 5.3 | 7.3 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 8.9 |
| 2019-20 | MIA | 72 | 34 | 55.7 | 14.3 | 69.1 | 2.4 | 7.8 | 10.2 | 5.1 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 15.9 |
| 2020-21 | MIA | 64 | 34 | 57.0 | 25.0 | 79.9 | 2.2 | 6.7 | 9.0 | 5.4 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 18.7 |
| 2021-22 | MIA | 56 | 33 | 55.7 | 0.0 | 75.3 | 2.5 | 7.6 | 10.1 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 19.1 |
| 2022-23 | MIA | 75 | 35 | 54.0 | 8.3 | 80.6 | 2.5 | 6.7 | 9.2 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 20.4 |
| 2023-24 | MIA | 32 | 35 | 50.4 | 11.1 | 78.1 | 2.2 | 8.3 | 10.5 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 21.5 |
| Total | 450 | 30 | 54.8 | 12.7 | 75.8 | 2.2 | 6.4 | 8.6 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 15.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
