Who would have thought that seven years of partnership would end in a heated scuffle between former teammates? Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro reportedly got into a physical altercation in Las Vegas. The two were split up a few weeks ago in a blockbuster trade involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, with Herro shipped off to Milwaukee. Yet what began as a few petty jibes from Herro after his exit reportedly resulted in fisticuffs. The incident took place when both players were in the city for the NBA Summer League, but the meetup turned ugly fast.

According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the confrontation happened at a practice court inside a Las Vegas hotel. “The altercation occurred at a practice court in a Las Vegas hotel this morning, sources said,” Charania reported on X. “Starting when Adebayo approached Herro about comments the guard made critiquing the center on social media after their seven-year run in Miami ended.”

The report said that Bam Adebayo hit Tyler Herro during their confrontation. After hearing about the incident, one unnamed NBA player told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, “That doesn’t seem like a fair fight.” According to The Athletic, Adebayo was subsequently confronted by Herro’s AAU coach. Herro himself yelled at his former teammate while he was being escorted out by security.

The timing made the incident even more surprising. Just before reports of the fight came out, Tyler Herro appeared on an NBA Summer League broadcast and spoke kindly about the Miami Heat. After being traded in the offseason, he said, “It’s all love in Miami,” suggesting he still had good feelings toward his former team.

The reported fight happened after rumors had emerged of Miami players taking umbrage with Adebayo’s contract extension and supposed exemption from trade rumors, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Herro, meanwhile, was constantly embroiled in trade talks before eventually being shown the door this year. After the Heat traded Tyler Herro to the Milwaukee Bucks in the deal that brought Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami, Herro shared a social media post showing the NBA’s least efficient mid-range shooters, and Bam Adebayo was included on that list.

Later, a private conversation between Herro and a fan leaked online. The fan defended Adebayo by saying, “Bam does his job, top 5 defender [averaging] 20 and 10.” Herro replied, “You should get paid 60 million to be a top-tier defender on some nights? I’m just wondering since we’re talking.” When the fan asked if he was talking about Adebayo, Herro responded, “I didn’t say any names. Am I just saying, should an elite defender be making 60 million a year? If the shoe fits. It fits.”

For the unversed, Adebayo signed a three-year, $160.3 million maximum contract extension with the Heat in 2024. He will make $49.5 million this season, $53.4 million in the 2027-28 season, and $57.4 million in the 2028-29 season. Whether subtle or unintentional, Herro’s comments did put a spotlight on Adebayo’s contractual situation. Another question is the aftermath of this reported incident. The Miami Heat acknowledged they were aware of the incident, but did not explain what happened or share details. Herro spoke publicly about the reported fight for the first time, but did not share any details.

“My only comment is no comment,” he told Heat reporter Ira Winderman about the reported altercation.

Clashes between teammates, former or otherwise, are no surprise to NBA fans. Many will vividly point to Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green’s punching Jordan Poole during training in 2022. The result? Poole was traded, while Green survived the incident with a fine and no suspension. A more violent tussle took place in 2017, when Chicago Bulls’ Bobby Portis — Adebayo’s current teammate — punched Nikola Mirotic at practice. Mirotic suffered multiple facial fractures and a concussion, while Portis was suspended for eight games.

Whether or not a similar fate awaits Adebayo and Herro remains to be seen. That said, their reported tussle presents a baffling case, given their almost decade-long exploits in Florida.

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro’s deep 7-year bond

This back and forth seems surprising because both Herro and Adebayo have experienced major highs and lows on the field together. They played more than 400 games together and became two of the team’s biggest stars. The two helped Miami reach the NBA Finals twice, first in 2020, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, and again in 2023, where they succumbed to Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets.

During a recorded vodcast, Herro asked Adebayo which teammate would always stand by him in a fight.

Adebayo replied, “I mean I would hope all of y’all, considering I got all y’all back,” before adding, “One person? Man, I’mma say T, just cause we got the longest relationship.” Herro then responded, “Yeah, I’m coming.”