Erik Spoelstra has once again proven why you can never count the Miami Heat out. Following a painful playoff elimination to eventual champions Milwaukee Bucks last season, the Heat came back stronger to prove their run to the NBA Finals in the 2020 Orlando bubble was not a coincidence.
One of the most remarkable things about this Heat team is the fact that it doesn’t have just one great superstar who takes all the credit, Miami truly works as a collective unit and, as a result, many players have find the best version of themselves.
If not, just look at Bam Adebayo, who is now regarded as one of the best big men in the league and is on pace to win Defensive Player of the Year. But not only the Heat itself has helped Bam to perform at his best. Gregg Popovich didn’t call up Bam to Team USA for the 2019 World Cup, something that bothered Adebayo for a long time.
Bam Adebayo felt ‘animosity’ towardsGregg Popovich for not playing 2019 World Cup
“Definitely animosity, because I felt like I should have been on that team,” Adebayo told Sports Illustrated, as quoted by Fadeaway World. “But when we got to the Olympics I had to let my animosity go because he was my coach at the time. But when we left, I let him know, from the time being in this Olympics we cool and you my coach, I’m your player. We gonna be like you and Tim… But when we leave, just know, I’ll never forget that you cut me.
“He respected it so much, he was like “Man, I can’t be mad at that. I did what I thought was best for the team, but I got to live with that.” Just know, whenever we play the Spurs, and you’re coaching, to get me geared up for that game it’s always going to go back to that. You cut me.“
Well, as long as that fueledBam to bring out the best in him, good for him – and especially for the Heat, who have noticed a lot of progress in the big man this season. Hopefully, they won’t only see him at his best against the Spurs but against any other team as well.