Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo is one of the best rebounders in the NBA. In his young career, the 6-foot-9 center has racked up 4,852 rebounds. The total rebounds he’s collected are close to the number Udonis Haslem collected in his career with the Heat. Haslem spent his entire 20-year career in Miami and is the franchise leader in rebounds, with 5,791.
This season, Adebayo is averaging 9.9 rebounds, totaling 577. With his pace, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his name at the top of the rebounding list in Miami. Additionally, he’s a completely different player compared to the 6-foot-8 forward. The 27-year-old big man is an All-Star in the league and has been given more responsibilities on both ends than when Haslem was active.
On Monday, Adebayo recorded 15 rebounds in their 106-90 win against the Washington Wizards. This season, it’s the second time he’s played a game with 15 rebounds. Also, it’s the fifth game he’s had where he had at least 15 or more boards.
After the game, Halsem joked about Adebayo, as he’s close to capturing the top spot of Miami’s history books.
”I love him… but I don’t love him that much,” the three-time champion joked.
Udonis Haslem jokes that he doesn’t want Bam Adebayo to break his rebounding record: ‘I don’t love him that much’ https://t.co/Jn5fpz7vuP
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) March 4, 2025
Adebayo had a chance to talk about his recent performance. According to him, it has always been his goal to make a name for himself.
“When I got here, I wanted to mark my name in history, whatever that may be,” Adebayo said. “To be able to be a franchise leader in something, I’m blessed to have that.”
After their win against the Wizards, the three-time All-Star made history and became the franchise leader in double-doubles. With his 15 boards, the big man had 19 points. Overall, he’s collected 222 double-doubles in his career.
Although Adebayo and Haslem didn’t play together in their primes, they had six seasons together playing for Miami. During that span, the power forward served as a mentor to the youngster.
How has Bam Adebayo performed for the Miami Heat following the Jimmy Butler trade?
10 games have passed since the Miami Heat traded Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors via a five-team deal. During that stretch of games, Miami leaned on Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro to try and lead the team as the postseason closes in.
Adebayo has played nine games since then, averaging 21.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists. While he’s often more of a defensive-minded player, the big man has stepped up when it comes to the offensive end. He’s also made 55.9% of his shots from the field on 15.1 attempts.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
