With the NBA Playoffs heating up, the Miami Heat are staring down a tough road—and they are without their scoring powerhouse Jimmy Butler III, who left the Heat for the Golden State Warriors.
The spotlight now shifts to Bam Adebayo, the team’s emotional anchor and defensive beast. And right when the Heat needed a spark, franchise legend Dwyane Wade stepped in with some powerful advice that might just fuel Bam’s next chapter as Miami’s leader.
Dwyane Wade Sends Powerful Message to Bam Adebayo
In a conversation with The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang, Wade gave fans a glimpse into the kind of mentorship he’s offering the Heat’s big man behind the scenes. While fans see Adebayo’s impact on the court, Wade sees something deeper—a leader in the making.
“My conversations with Bam, and this is what [Erik Spoelstra] says all the time: don’t let go of the rope,” Wade shared. “That’s my conversation with Bam as a leader. It doesn’t matter what’s going on or what you ain’t got, don’t let go of the rope. Don’t allow your teammates to see you do it or feel like they can. Run through the tape, bro.”
It’s a message that’s stuck. The Heat ended the regular season battling through a brutal 10-game losing streak, but they never folded. Adebayo stayed steady, helping keep the locker room focused and the team’s playoff hopes alive.
Alongside Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, he remains one of just three players left from the 2020 Heat squad that made a Finals run. He has the experience and the skills to step up—and the Heat are counting on him.
Heat Crush Chicago Bulls in Play-In as Adebayo Posts Clutch Double-Double
On Wednesday night, April 16, the Heat showed they’re far from done. Miami rolled past the Chicago Bulls 109–90 in a do-or-die play-in tournament game.
While Tyler Herro erupted for 38 points to deliver decisive blows to the Bulls, Adebayo’s presence on both ends of the floor also helped seal the deal. He finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and the kind of calm leadership Miami needed.
The win sets up a showdown against the Atlanta Hawks in the final play-in game. The stakes are high, as the winner will move to a first-round playoff series against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. That battle goes down Friday, April 18, at State Farm Arena, airing live on TNT and truTV.
Adebayo wrapped up the regular season averaging 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. With Butler out, it’s officially Bam’s team now, and with legends like Wade in his corner, he just might be ready for the moment.