Heat’s Jimmy Butler Makes Bold Statement About Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat small forward Jimmy Butler was asked a question about center Bam Adebayo during his NBA Finals Media Day session on June 6.

As expected, Butler had nothing but great things to say about Adebayo.

“Yeah, Bam has been playing incredibly well this entire playoffs, for sure this series, and that’s when he’s got like the toughest matchup by far on the defensive side of the ball,” Butler said. “He plays with so much energy. He never takes a possession or a play off. You’ve got to really respect him for that.

“Then on the offensive end, he is doing everything for us. We need him to continue to be that. He has been there for us all year long, and like I said, he is going to be the reason why we win the championship.”

Adebayo is one of the best two-way players in the NBA. In the Finals, he has to guard Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic and score for the Heat. Butler and Co. are very fortunate they have Adebayo on their side. The All-Star is averaging 17.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in the 2023 playoffs while shooting 49.8% from the field and 81.0% from the free-throw line.

“In the bubble, D-Wade called UD on FaceTime,” Adebayp said. “I was in the room, obviously. He was like, hey, man, let me talk to young fella. He said the biggest things about the Finals is really embrace and cherish the moment because they do not come around often.

“It’s not one of those things where you’re like, all right, I’ll just get here next year, because it’s not that easy. Teams change, players change, coaches change. So really embrace that moment.”

The Heat have to win Games 3 and 4 in Miami to keep home-court advantage in the Finals. It’s going to be fun to see how the Heat and Nuggets adjust moving forward.