Bam Adebayo on Jimmy Butler not acknowledging Heat players after game: I’m not shocked… I don’t take it personal

Leading up to the trade, the Heat suspended Butler without pay three times and Butler went public to express his desire to be dealt after the Heat declined to offer him the max contract extension he sought last offseason. Butler also feuded with Heat president Pat Riley and the franchise on the way out, telling Taylor Rooks of Turner Sports this week: “I have nothing to say to Pat. And Pat better have nothing to say to me.” “I’m sad to see it go that far,” Adebayo said, reflecting on Butler’s ugly breakup with the Heat. “Guys are going to make decisions off of whether they want to take care of themselves and I’m all for that. I’ll never be mad at a guy who wants to go get his money. But to me, it ended as a bad sting between the organization and him as a whole. You got him and Pat going at it and stuff like that. I just feel like it ended badly. At this point, we just got to move on.” -via Miami Herald / March 28, 2025

Luka, by superstar standards—was there some maintenance involved? Absolutely. But is he the highest-maintenance superstar in the league today? No. And as I said, ask Miami if they would’ve rather dealt with Luka or Jimmy Butler over the first few months of this season. And the thing with these guys having their own body teams or medical squads—or however you want to say it—that’s not unusual. It’s been an issue with Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. It was an issue with Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz. In this case, it was an issue with Luka and the Mavericks—but that’s also after the Mavericks got rid of the people in the health and performance group that Luka did know, that he did like, that he did respect—most importantly, that he did trust. -via YouTube / March 28, 2025

Kevin Love: Jimmy when it came time to see his former teammates and coaching staff after the game…????????????? -via Instagram / March 27, 2025

The Heat’s latest victory came in a 122-112 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night in Miami to improve to 32-41 this season. “I bring the same positive optimistic energy every day,” Adebayo said of his leadership style, with the Heat now set to embark on a three-game trip that begins Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Sun). “It doesn’t matter what we’re going through. “If we’re on a 10-game losing streak or if we’ve won seven straight, you got to keep that same energy because, like I preach to my teammates, you never know what can happen on the other side. You’re thinking about letting go of the rope. And then the one time you’re like, ‘I’m not going to let it go,’ you get a breakthrough.” -via Miami Herald / March 28, 2025

Outwardly, Adebayo remained positive through it all. Internally, Adebayo questioned himself during the skid. “At this point, you got to go through it on your own because nobody can save you, nobody can help you,” Adebayo, 27, said. “For me, it was really just looking in the mirror. Like, how can I be better? What can I change as a captain, as a leader to where we have this breakthrough and we make progressions? Outwardly, Adebayo remained positive through it all. Internally, Adebayo questioned himself during the skid. “At this point, you got to go through it on your own because nobody can save you, nobody can help you,” Adebayo, 27, said. “For me, it was really just looking in the mirror. Like, how can I be better? What can I change as a captain, as a leader to where we have this breakthrough and we make progressions? -via Miami Herald / March 28, 2025