Candid Bam Adebayo explains why being the Heat’s captain “doesn’t get any easier”

With Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo motivated for the upcoming season, he will begin his second year as team captain following the retirement of Udonis Haslem. As the Heat move closer to a much more loaded Eastern Conference, Adebayo will have to lead the team more than ever, but he doesn’t hide how hard it really can be.

Adebayo commented on being captain before last season, gave a blunt answer about how difficult it can be, and doubled down on his effectiveness on Monday during the team’s media day. The Heat star told ClutchPoints that his perspective on being captain hasn’t changed and it was Haslem’s idea.

“No, no,” Adebayo said. “It doesn’t get easier. You know, new guys come in and you have to explain to them what we’re about, how we act, how we move, and it’s not really about you. You know, every year I come back and you start to realize more and more that you’re doing it for something bigger than yourself. As I said, I didn’t decide to be captain. It was a bit… UD (Udonis Haslem) forced me to do this role. But you know, you understand that when you get into that role and rank that high, it’s ultimately not about you.

Whether he likes it or not, Adebayo has the trust of the Heat leader from both the coaching staff and the players because he is seen as one of, if not the cornerstone of the team. Especially as he comes off an offseason that saw the Heat center receive a significant contract extension and an Olympic gold medal last summer in Paris, France.

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra talks to Bam Adebayo on time during the Olympics

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra spoke at length on Monday about Adebayo, his time as a team leader, but also his time with Team USA since he was an assistant coach. He expressed how rewarding it was for Adebayo to gain the respect of sports legends like LeBron James and Stephen Curry.

“He just needs to continue to lead us. It will grow,” Spoelstra said. “We will continue to add more to his plate. You know, the summer was a really cool experience for this old, experienced coach. I really appreciated this opportunity to be in a team environment with him in a different role. Our relationship has really developed over the years. Being able to step back and be an assistant coach there was, in my opinion, one of the most memorable moments in this profession. In the meantime, we were able to spend a lot of time, have various kinds of discussions and other kinds of relationships. “

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on ‘full circle’ relationship with Bam Adebayo

Spoelstra also talked about how covering Adebayo during the Olympics reminded him of his time with Heat legend Dwyane Wade.

“It reminded me of, really, it was kind of a full circle thing,” Spoelstra continued. “You know, I was an assistant coach and I worked with Dwayne. It brought back a lot of these types of memories for me. We didn’t have any deep support staff at USA Basketball, so when you’re an assistant coach, you have to do player development, rebounding, ball moving, and so on. That’s how I became Bama’s practice coach. It was great fun. And then when we were done practicing, we would sit in the gym and just shoot, you know, and we didn’t even talk about baskets, we didn’t talk about the team, we just really appreciated the experience that we had being a part of that team.”

Spoelstra then mentioned that Adebayo still has a lot to achieve despite his impressive resume, such as being “recognized” for his defensive skills. Anyway, the Heat are in the middle of training camp in the Bahamas before their first game on October 23 against the Orlando Magic.