Heat President Pat Riley Jokes About Bam Adebayo Punching Tyler Herro
Newsweek · C · trust 32/100
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Miami Heat president Pat Riley just cleared up any lingering speculation over whether Heat brass may have been upset by news that Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro " got into a physical altercation " last Friday, July 10.
Alongside Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, Riley participated in Giannis Antetokounmpo 's introductory press conference on Thursday, July 16. About 20 minutes in, Riley was asked about landing great players over his legendary career, and he listed off the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and the "Big 3," and more.
A few minutes later, Riley interrupted the run of events to correct himself.
"I know that I was remiss in mentioning one guy, and I don't wanna get knocked out," Riley said, gesturing to Adebayo off to the side. "Bam was one of those guys who came in here, too."
Spoelstra and most of the room burst into laughter and applause. Riley continued, "Bam was in [2017], came in here, and he's been basically the foundation of this organization since then. So, you got me? I'm good, right? He had a lot to do [with this], obviously, because of the relationship with Giannis, in convincing all of us that this is the way that we should go."
The Heat drafted Adebayo out of Kentucky with the No. 14 overall pick in 2017. Herro, also out of Kentucky, followed as the Heat's No. 13 overall pick in 2019.
Late on June 22, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that the Milwaukee Bucks had agreed to trade Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Heat in exchange for Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round draft picks, and more draft compensation .
Adebayo and Herro were both in Las Vegas for NBA Summer League last week.
"The altercation occurred at a practice court in a Las Vegas hotel this morning, sources said — starting when Adebayo approached Herro about comments the guard made critiquing the center on social media after their seven-year run in Miami ended," Charania wrote .
Later in the day, Herro said on Prime Video that " it's all love in Miami ," and both sides are excited for "a fresh start."
However, Riley's jab, while obviously in jest, aligns more with what has been reported about bubbling tension among Heat players over organizational favoritism.
"What we can tell you is there has been some level of resentment from multiple former Heat players that Bam was the chosen one here and was given a big [money] extension by the Heat and was never subjected to trade rumors," Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald posted on X last Friday.
Earlier Thursday, Charania reported that the NBA will not punish Adebayo for punching Herro, and Herro has told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that he's "just trying to move past all of it."
Watch the full Antetokounmpo introductory presser below.
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