Erik Spoelstra rips LaMelo Ball for 'dangerous play' that injured Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Heat's Erik Spoelstra hammers LaMelo Ball for 'dangerous play' that injured Bam Adebayo in play-in loss to Hornets

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 15, 2026 12:32 AM ET

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra believes Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball should've been punished for a play that knocked out center Bam Adebayo during the team's play-in loss on Tuesday night.

Adebayo exited with a back injury early in the second quarter of Miami's 127-126 overtime loss after Ball appeared to trip him while he was grabbing a blocked shot. Ball grasped Adebayo's left ankle as he tried to get back on his feet, contributing to the center's fall.

The play may have been an accident, but Spoelstra still called it "dangerous" during his postgame news conference.

Erik Spoelstra reacts to play that left Bam Adebayo injured

"I don't think it's cute. I don't think it's funny. I think it's a stupid play," the coach said (h/t Mike Cugno of WFOR-TV in Miami). "It's a dangerous play. ...He should be penalized for that. I don't think that belongs in the game, tripping guys. He should've been thrown out of the game for that."

Erik Spoelstra says LaMelo Ball should've been tossed from the game for what happened with Bam Adebayo. pic.twitter.com/AS1NnIkeIj
— Mike Cugno (@MikeCugnoCBS4) April 15, 2026

Tripping is a flagrant foul in the NBA. Ball, however, was not reviewed because no foul was called on the floor. In his postgame news conference, Ball insisted the play wasn't dirty.

Bam Adebayo was ruled out for the game after being injured on this play pic.twitter.com/vJVTQnGUVZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 15, 2026

"I apologize on that one," he said. "I got hit in the head, didn't really know where I was, but I'm going to check on him and see if he's OK and everything."

"I apologize on that one. I got hit in the head, didn't really know where I was, but I'mma check on him and see if he's okay and everything."

—LaMelo Ball on the play that led to Bam Adebayo leaving the game. pic.twitter.com/79VIG5kuMK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 15, 2026

Without their 6-foot-9, 260-pound star, Miami was forced to lean heavily on backup center Kel'el Ware (7-foot, 250 pounds) and forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (6-foot-6, 230 pounds). The Heat consequently lost the battle on the boards, getting outrebounded 54-48 by the Hornets.

Ball, meanwhile, erupted for a game-leading 30 points on 12-of-31 shooting from the field. That included the game-sealing layup in overtime.

Adebayo's injury proved to be one of the game's biggest moments, as his absence loomed large for Miami down the stretch. No wonder Spoelstra was fuming after the loss. The injury clearly impacted the outcome of the game, which ended the Heat's season.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

More must-reads: