NBA Legend Shows Some Love For Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo

Miguel Mike Medina | 3 Hours Ago

Oct 15, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) controls the basketball against San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (23) during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo continues to receive respect for his game.

Recently, NBA legend and Inside the NBA analyst Charles Barkley showed appreciation by ranking Adebayo as No. 12 on the Top 50 list.

Barkley has been with Inside the NBA since 2000. He is known for being a straight shooter and doesn’t care who gets offended. He also gives due credit. 

It’s nice to see a Hall of Famer like Barkley recognize Adebayo for what he does for this Heat team. Adebayo can guard all the positions, and now he has a three-point shot that will take his game to another level. 

When it comes to ranking players, you can’t please everyone. Many will agree to disagree. 

Former WNBA player Candace Parker disagrees with Barkley's ranking of Adebayo ahead of Anthony Edwards, who is ranked No. 14 on his list.

“I don’t think Bam Adebayo is better than Anthony Edwards,” Parker said. “Bam is definitely a top pick, but maybe it’s the same, you know, maybe it’s the same list, but you got to flip-flop those two guys. What Anthony Edwards is doing from the guard position, and what he did this summer with Team USA, I think it further proved that he is deserving of that.”

Adebayo enters his eighth season with the Heat and is determined to have the best season of his career. 

Yes, he badly wants to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, but he also wants the bigger one, the Larry O’Brien trophy. 

The mission begins on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center. 

Miguel Mike Medina is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com

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