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Why Heat’s Erik Spoelstra treasures Bam Adebayo relationship

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 1:17 PM ET

As the Miami Heat went winless in the preseason, the team is turning its focus to the regular season, led once again by head coach Erik Spoelstra and featuring star Bam Adebayo. While the Heat’s standard has been set by Spoelstra and Adebayo, the two are entering their ninth season together, as the head coach speaks on how special their relationship has been.

Ever since Adebayo was drafted with the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, he has ascended into a foundational piece for Miami, helped by his development led by Spoelstra, appearing in two NBA Finals. The long-time head coach spoke about how he ‘treasures’ his relationship with Adebayo, which has become close, even comparing it to that of team legends Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, according to The Miami Herald.

“That’s the beauty of time,” Spoelstra said. “But, unfortunately, we don’t get enough of that in this business. There’s just so much turnover and there’s so much change that you find yourself developing new relationships year after year. But when you have opportunities to coach somebody for multiple years, you get to know each other on a much deeper level. And I treasure that.”

“It’s similar to how I feel coaching Dwayne and UD for all those years,” Spoelstra continued. “Looking back on it, you just have so much gratitude for all the different chapters because you experience everything. You experience the good, you experience the friction, you experience the friendship, the experiences, the shared memories. And I just treasure that with Bam.”

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra, Bam Adebayo’s relationship grew with the Olympics

With the Heat’s Spoelstra being the new USA men’s basketball head coach , he and Adebayo could make more memories if the big man is on the team, as he has been when the team won two gold medals. In fact, Spoelstra was an assistant under Steve Kerr in Paris, France, in the last Olympics, sharing what was a memorable time with each other.

“It definitely has grown, probably from the USA experience because we were each able to see each other in a different way and spend a lot of time overseas in those moments that I call in-between,” Spoelstra said. “Grabbing a meal together, having coffee together, being on a bus together, hanging out after practice, and me not being the head coach. Me being an assistant coach and then sometimes just being a friend to each other. I love that. I wish we had more of those opportunities in this business, but that’s just not the way it is. And that’s why I’m truly grateful for that.”

At any rate, the focus is set on Spoelstra and Adebayo capturing a championship together for the first time with the season opener on Oct. 22 against the Orlando Magic.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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