“It was kind of like unwritten. Now it’s stamped.” Last year, it was made official that Bam Adebayo would be leading the new Miami Heat culture. Being with the team since the draft in 2017, he had already proved to be a crucial part of the team. So when it was time for the change in a certain position, the #13 was the perfect choice.

During this year’s media day, the 27-year-old revealed about the captaincy. “Bam Adebayo laughs when saying, ‘I didn’t choose to be captain. UD forced me into that role.‘” Hot Hot Hoops on X shared it, as they claim to be the #1 Miami Heat blog featuring the latest news, and everything else related to the franchise.

Heat Coach Eric Spoelstra last year revealed that Udonis Haslem was mentoring Bam Adebayo. “Even early at this stage in his career, Bam has put so much into the organization and the culture and he’s been mentored by the best mentor in UD.” That’s why Bam felt it was unwritten. Spoelstra continued, “So [Haslem] has been grooming him for this for the last two or three years kind of specifically with this in mind. It was a special moment.”

In last year’s playoff run, the responsibility did not turn into a burden. Even though the Heat lost to the eventual champions, Celtics, Adebayo scored 20 points or more in every game. Plus, he had double-digit rebounds in two of those games. Thus, he ended the first playoff run as the captain with an average of 22.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 5 games. If these stats are not vocal of his potential, we don’t know what is!

Why Miami Heat franchise choose Bam Adebayo to lead them into the future

The change in captaincy was surely a surprise for the Center. During one of the training camps, Haslem surprised Adebayo with a Heat #13 jersey and a special patch. UD also gave the ‘C’ captain patch to make it clear about the new era for the Heat. “We might bring in new players or new coaches, but the standard remains the same. That can never change,” stated Haslem. 

He further hyped up the importance of Adebayo and his impact on the team. “We demand certain things from our guys, and Bam understands that. The team is in good hands as long as he’s around.” Similarly, the 3x All-Star reciprocated the love of the Heat veteran.

“It was a surreal moment because I remember walking into this situation just trying to get in where I could fit in,” Adebayo said last year. “Fast forward to now, the coaching staff, [Haslem], the organization looking at me in Year 7 like I’m next in line to carry this torch.” Plus, the former Kentucky Wildcats called it a “real blessing.”

The Heat Captain did not mince his words about his target for the upcoming season on today’s media day. “Winning. Being the top dog at something, being able to win.” And the VP of Basketball Operations UD, previously made sure to put the other team in the Eastern division on notice, as he placed his faith in the Heat franchise for the upcoming season.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.