Bam Adebayo becomes the second player, alongside Dwyane Wade, to reach 10,000 points for the Heat.
MIAMI — Bam Adebayo recalls the perceptions surrounding him nine years ago when the Miami Heat selected him as a teenager from Kentucky following his single season in college.
“I was drafted primarily for my defensive skills, and many believed I was merely a lob threat,” Adebayo stated.
He has progressed since then.
Adebayo joined Dwyane Wade as the only players in Heat history to score 10,000 points on Sunday night. He entered the game needing 23 points to reach the milestone; he finished with 24, contributing to Miami’s 121-110 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons.
Adebayo — the Heat’s captain, a role taken seriously in Miami — is on track to average at least 18 points per game for the sixth straight season. He made four 3-pointers on Sunday, bringing his season total to 94, which equals his combined total from the previous two seasons.
“This illustrates the development of my game,” Adebayo remarked. “Clearly, this organization has faith in me. I’ve been here long enough to achieve 10K with the same team. And being in the record books alongside someone like D-Wade is a significant achievement.”
He still has a considerable distance to cover to catch Wade, who amassed 21,556 points for the Heat. However, there is another record that Adebayo could realistically attain.
Adebayo ranks second on the Heat’s all-time rebounding list, trailing the player he succeeded as captain, Udonis Haslem. He has a slim chance of surpassing Haslem by the end of this season — he would need 207 rebounds in Miami’s remaining 17 games — and has indicated that this is the only record he is actively pursuing.
Moreover, he remains the cornerstone of Miami’s defense. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra frequently endorses him as a candidate for defensive player of the year, but his scoring contributions are also acknowledged.
“He entered the league not primarily recognized as a scorer,” Spoelstra noted. “He has worked diligently to develop that aspect of his game. For this specific team, his scoring is extremely valuable.”
