“It sucks. You can quote me, it really sucks.” Promoted to captain of the Heat following the retirement of Udonis Haslem, Bam Adebayo admits that he still has difficulty managing this new role.
“Because you have to learn to convey your message to everyone, even though everyone is different, and everyone already has things to deal with” he explains to the Miami Herald. “I already have my ideas in mind, on how I want to play and how I want to influence the match. And it's the same for the other 14 guys. Don't try to get 14 other guys to buy into your message, the way we express it, the way the coach expresses it. It’s hard because guys have their own dilemmas, their own feelings.”
All-Star for the third time in his career, and even a starter in the absence of Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo is more than ever at the heart of Miami's game, both defensively and offensively.
Udonis Haslem: “But what matters is that he cares about others. He cares about everyone, the team, the organization, the guys and winning. As a captain, you have to be selfless, not selfish”
He is even more so with this role of captain, even if Udonis Haslem recognizes that it is delicate.
” It is a work in progress “explains the mentor. “But what matters is that he cares about others. He cares about everyone, the team, the organization, the guys and winning. As a captain, you have to be selfless, not selfish. And he is very altruistic. This is the hardest part and he accepted it.”
Always ready to give him advice, particularly on the management of the incident between Jaylen Brown and Duncan Robinson, Udonis Haslem however assures that his successor is generally doing a good job in his role as captain, in his own style. Sometimes even if it means being a little violent, and breaking out of your reserved nature.
“I feel like this is the biggest transition for me”concludes Bam Adebayo. “You can’t think about yourself if you want to be captain. You always have to give to the team, you always have to give to the coaches. Even when you don’t feel like it, it’s something you should always do.”
| 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 | 45 | 35 | 51.0 | 9.1 | 78.4 | 2.3 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 20.2 |
| Total | 463 | 30 | 54.8 | 12.3 | 75.9 | 2.2 | 6.5 | 8.7 | 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.
