Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo is regarded as one of the best defensive players in the league. He was even one of the three finalists for the 2024 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. However, he finished just third in the voting, behind Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and eventual winner Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In a recent appearance on The OGs Show, hosted by former Heat stars Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, Shams Charania of The Athletic revealed that he opted to vote for Gobert for the DPOY award, thus eliciting an intriguing reaction from Haslem.
(h/t Scott Salomon of Sports Illustrated)
“Who the f*** you know at the 5 that can start the game off on Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum,” Haslem said to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, “We started Bam on JB in one game, and JT in the playoffs. Name another 5 that does that.”
Gobert got a total of 72 first-place votes and ended up with 433 points in the voting. Wembanyama finished second with 19 first-place votes and 245 points. As for Adebayo, he only got three first-place votes and 91 points.
Perhaps Adebayo’s time as a DPOY winner will come sooner than later. He is still just 27 years old and is already a five-time member of NBA All-Defensive Teams, including a First-Team in the 2023-24 NBA season. That said, he will have fierce competition for the award, even if Gobert starts to decline significantly, with Wembanyama expected to be a perennial contender for the honor.
Last season, Adebayo averaged 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game for the Heat.
For More Miami Heat, NBA, WNBA, and College Basketball Content:
Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) at @Rexwell14. Also, do not forget to follow us at @HardwoodHeroics for even more great basketball content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in the world of the NBA – especially with all the NBA trade rumors swirling around and NBA free agency news – college basketball, and also the WNBA, click here!
