Bam Adebayo received the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award this week, a trophy that honours a player using his platform to drive social change. During the ceremony, he was asked to name his top five NBA players of all time, and his answer immediately raised eyebrows, not because of who he included, but because of who he left out – LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo

Adebayo said: “Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan.” Five names. No Antetokounmpo, his own teammate on the Miami Heat. No Dwyane Wade, the franchise icon he has repeatedly credited as a mentor and a player he joined as one of only two Heat players to score 10,000 career points.

And no LeBron James, a player the Heat center has now had two defining run-ins with, one on opposite ends of the court and one that ended with James choosing Philadelphia over Miami entirely.

The omissions were noted, with social media falling into a frenzy over his choices.

Fans Roast Bam Adebayo Over Controversial, Top-Five List

One fan tweeted: “Everyone’s gonna sh** on Bam for this, rightfully so, but let’s not forget LeBron beat Bam and Miami in the Finals in 2020, and then this year chose Philly over Miami. He has every right to hate Bron.” The 2020 defeat still carries weight in Miami’s locker room, as the Heat took that Lakers team to six games in the Orlando bubble, before losing 4-2.

Then this summer, after the Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and positioned themselves as arguably the most attractive free agent destination in the league, James signed a two-year deal in Philadelphia instead.

The Giannis omission was also criticized. “Steph is still playing, Durant is still playing — you leave off your teammate Giannis?” one fan wrote. “The franchise great Wade? One of basketball’s icons in LeBron? Now we have to question your knowledge. Jesus, Bam.”

Another fan added: “You blew this. You’re supposed to have D-Wade and Giannis whether you think so or not. Follow the code, smh.” Adebayo’s relationship with Wade in particular made the exclusion hard to explain away on pure basketball terms.

Wade handed him his jersey at the 2019 All-Star Weekend in a symbolic passing-of-the-torch moment that Bam Adebayo described as one of the most meaningful of his career.

“This is why Bron’s not joining y’all,” another fan tweeted. A summary of the feeling that Adebayo’s list, whether intentional or not, revealed something about the Heat’s internal culture in a summer when James’ decision to go elsewhere was still a fresh wound for the Miami fanbase.