Bam Adebayo
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Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo became the team's all-time leading defensive rebounder.
Bam Adebayo continues to cement his legacy with the Miami Heat.
During the Heat’s 124-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets on March 3, Adebayo became the all-time franchise leader in defensive rebounding. He now has 4,180 rebounds, surpassing Udonis Haslem to take the franchise’s top spot.
“It’s a testament to his consistency, and we love to see it,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “That’s what records are there for, to be broken, especially when it’s quality people that are breaking records. And Bam is a quality human being.”
Adebayo was drafted by the Heat in 2017 and has stayed with the organization throughout his career. He’s the longest tenured player on the current roster.
Prolific rebounding has been a staple of Adebayo’s career. He’s averaged nine or more rebounds per game in seven consecutive seasons.
While Adebayo is the all-time defensive rebounding leader, he’s still behind Haslem in total rebounding. Haslem had 5,791 rebounds, while Adebayo has 5,556 rebounds. He’s likely going to break the record sooner or later.
“I’m on the way, man. He knows it,” Adebayo said about Haslem. “That gap is getting closer and closer. But like I said, being part of this organization, the guys ahead of me, records are meant to be broken. But they want you to earn them. Obviously, I’m earning it every game, and at some point it’s going to happen.”
Bam Adebayo’s big day Fueled a Miami Heat win Over the Nets
Bam Adebayo
GettyBam Adebayo finished with a team-high 23 points against the Brooklyn Nets on March 3.
Bam Adebayo didn’t just break Miami Heat records, but he also led his team to a dominant victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
He finished as the team’s leading scorer, ending the game with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals in 35 minutes. He was also a team-high +22.
Adebayo has been playing some of the best statistical basketball of his career over the last 30 days. In February, he averaged 20.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
His three-point shooting has also taken a big leap. He’s averaging 4.9 attempts per game, more than double the second-highest mark of his career.
As the Heat approach the end of the season, wins like these are important if the team wants to avoid the play-in for the first time in three years.
“It’s the second half of the season,” Adebayo said. “We need these wins. We can’t have any more slip-ups. We’ve had enough in the first half of the season.”
The win was a Collaborative Effort From the Miami Heat
While Bam Adebayo was dominant against the Brooklyn Nets, multiple key players on the team showed up to lead the rout.
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro has had little drop-off since returning from a rib injury. Against the Nets, he finished with 22 points on 8-15 shooting.
Sixth Man of the Year Award candidate Jaime Jaquez Jr. also continues to shine for the Heat. He finished with 20 points in 27 minutes.
Nobody on the Heat finished the game with a negative point differential. The lowest was guard Jahmir Young, who finished as a +1 in three minutes.
“We have everything we need,” Erik Spoelstra said. “We’ve got a high-powered offense. We’ve got a very good defense. It can be as good as anybody in the league defensively. But we need to put it together, particularly in the moments of truth.”