Bam Adebayo notches 10,000 career points, joining Dwyane Wade in Miami Heat history as his offensive game blossoms.
The Miami Heat are coming off a convincing 121–110 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. They're making a push to get out of the Play-In Tournament, currently riding a five-game winning streak. There were a few notable performances, including Bam Adebayo, who finished with 24 points on 41.2 percent shooting from the field, 40 percent from three-point range, nine rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block in 34 minutes.
After the game, the three-time All-Star officially surpassed 10,000 career points, only the second player in Heat history to accomplish that. The first was Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, 21,556 points.
"It's a lot of buckets," Adebayo said. "It means a lot, coming somewhere who got drafted to play defense. Everybody thinking I was just a lob threat. It just shows the growth in my game. Obviously, this organization believes in me. I've been here that long where I can get [10,000] with the same team. Obviously, be in the history book behind someone like [Wade]. It's a great accomplishment, I'm glad I got it on a [win] too."
The 28-year-old was the 14 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the same class as Jayson Tatum, De'Aaron Fox, Donovan Mitchell, OG Anunoby, Derrick White, Josh Hart, and Isaiah Hartenstein. He was one-and-done at the University of Kentucky, averaging 13 points on 59.9 percent shooting, eight rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 38 games for the Wildcats.
Adebayo is one of three players to currently play with the same organization that drafted them from the group, alongside Tatum with the Boston Celtics and Jonathan Isaac with the Orlando Magic. He was originally the backup to Hassan Whiteside, who's currently out of the league. The defense was always there, but the scoring took time to develop.
Each year, the Heat elevated Adebayo's role: from backup, to starter, to anchor of the defense, to scorer, and captain.
The growth of the former lottery pick has been a steady progression for the organization. However, the front office is still learning to build around him.
Despite Adebayo's growth, he's been a second option, behind stars such as Wade and Jimmy Butler. Last season, Tyler Herro was the go-to guy after having an All-Star season. Adebayo is the clear first option and face of the franchise.
However, whether or not he can lead a team through the playoffs remains to be seen.
The Heat currently sits with a 36-29 record, seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. They will host the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
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