Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo Reflects On First Encounter With Pat Riley

Adebayo compared the meeting to the movie "The Godfather"

During the 2017 NBA Draft, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo had his first experience with team president Pat Riley. 

In an interview with The Players Tribune, Adebayo explained what the encounter was like. It occurred a pre-draft workout. Adebayo was a bit intimidated leading up to the meeting. He had heard so much about Riley.

“The first time I met Pat I wasn’t necessarily nervous, but you hear the history of him trying to fight [Shaquille O'Neal] and crazy [expletive] like that”. 

Imagine going in to meet Pat Riley and you walk into a scene out of the Godfather. 😳 @Bam1of1 shares the story behind meeting the legendary coach for the first time and how he kept his cool.

Watch the latest episode #Knuckleheads now. https://t.co/ZyWXxhBjNe pic.twitter.com/oHaFSci84v

— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) February 10, 2022

Adebayo said the meeting was similar to a scene in the famous movie "The Godfather."  

“I walk in the office, and it is all glass, all the lights off except for one over his desk, with one chair," Adebayo said. 

As Adebayo put it, Riley is “the boss of all bosses”. 

Riley, who was recently named among the 15 top coaches in NBA history along with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, made a point to introduce Adebayo how the organization operates. Thus far, it has worked. 

Adebayo, a one-time All-Star, is already one of the league's top players under 25.  

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Khristian Davis is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He is a communications major at the University of Louisville. He can be reached at khristiandavis@gmail.com or followed on Twitter @Khris_finao1