Bam Adebayo Stands Firm That His Accolades Are Enough For Team USA

Anthony Pasciolla | Aug 2, 2024

May 1, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) looks on from the bench during the fourth quarter of their 118-84 loss to the Boston Celtics in game five of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo still isn't finished firing back at NBA analyst Brian Windhorst for his benching prediction.

Adebayo shined against South Sudan on Wednesday, where Windhorst predicted the Heat star as the next Team USA star to land on the bench. Instead, he led the team in scoring with 18 points.

Now the three-time All-Star is sending a question to Windhorst, asking why his name was singled out.

"[Adebayo] opened his news conference by admonishing a reporter [Windhorst] for the mere suggestion that Adebayo might sit so Tatum could get a chance. Why did you pick my name?” Adebayo said, according to The Athletic's Joe Vardon. “My accolades don’t stand up?”

It's clear the remark is rhetorical, but some fans began siding with Windhorst because of it. The media is making the argument that Adebayo's resume doesn't stack up to the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant.

It was taken a step further with Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum, who was the first of the roster's stars to sit an entire game. He won his first ring last season, leading people to specifically point out the Heat's 0-2 record in the NBA Finals during Adebayo's tenure.

Here's a look at one of Adebayo's previous comments toward Windhorst:

In the days leading up to Wednesday's game against South Sudan, there was talk about Adebayo being benched. ESPN's Brian Windhorst suggested Team USA coach Steve Kerr would sit Adebayo like he did Jayson Tatum in the opener.

“South Sudan's got a bunch of athletic wing players," Windhorst said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. "Tatum's gonna be out there. They're gonna be switching all of those screens because they gotta play the perimeter, and there may be a guy like Bam Adebayo that gets benched...”

Adebayo was far from benched. In fact, he led Team USA with 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in Wednesday's victory. Adebayo responded to Windhorst by posting a reply to his commentary. He shared a popular GIF of rapper 50 Cent that basically means why someone included him in a conversation.

Adebayo proved he was versatile enough to dominate no matter who is on the court. He drew praise from the entire basketball world.

Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.

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