Miami heat’s Erik Spoelstra On Bam Adebayo Fine:” I Don’t Think He Was Out Of Control

Ahead of Saturday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was asked about three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo getting hit with a $50,000 fine by the NBA after their loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves the night before.

“Yeah I mean, what can we do, can we appeal?” Spoelstra said. “I don’t know. I don’t think he was out of control. Bam has a great reputation, very respectful. He was trying to get Kevin’s attention and you know, I think he was just saying, like trying to make his case. I think Kevin kind of ignited it.”

“That was unnecessary, Bam was not being aggressive. that was more of an aggressive response to Bam trying to have a discussion, but you’re not winning that with the league so we have to move on.”

Here’s the official release from the NBA: 

“Miami Heat center-forward Bam Adebayo has been fined $50,000 for making inappropriate contact with and directing profane language toward a game official, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. The incident occurred after the end of the fourth quarter of Miami’s 106-104 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 7 at the Kaseya Center.”

The Heat were losing by six points with about 18 seconds left in the game before the T-Wolves committed two turnovers and missed four straight free throws. It led to an opportunity for the Heat, down two at this point, to either tie or win the game with about two seconds left in the game. Adebayo caught the ball and got a deep three pointer off that missed. He believed he was fouled by Julius Randle on the attempt, and said that wasn’t the only reason that prompted him to talk to the official after the game ended.

“And it wasn’t even about the last play. It was throughout the whole game.” Adebayo said. “To me, like I said, I don’t really get too confrontational. I really don’t get into it with the refs because it’s their job and it’s our job too at the end of the day. We got dudes fighting for everything on the line. So to me, it’s like have the decency enough to look me in my eyes when I’m having a conversation.”

“Obviously, we lost. I don’t understand why they think we can’t be emotional. We’re going to be emotional. Win or lose games, if we have a conversation and it gets heated, it’s not because I just want to go at you. It’s because [expletive] is happening in the game. Like I said, man, have the decency enough to look a man in his eye and not walk away. That to me is utterly disrespectful in a man’s game.”