Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo was reportedly involved in a heated exchange with his former teammate Tyler Herro on Friday. According to a report in The Associated Press, Adebayo struck Tyler Herro at least once during the exchange.
Earlier in July, Tyler Herro had been traded to Milwaukee Bucks, with Giannis Antetokounmpo joining Miami Heat instead after ending a 13-year association with the Bucks. Giannis will play alongside Bam Adebayo, who is the captain of Miami Heat.
Miami Heat aware of the incident
The Heat said they were aware that an incident took place and declined further comment.
Herro spoke briefly to The Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel after a summer game between the Bucks and Heat, saying “my only comment is no comment.” Herro attended that game; Adebayo was not present for the contest.
He spoke on the trade deal that sent him to the Bucks. “It’s all love in Miami,” he said during an interview. . “I’ve seen a couple of the guys, coaching staff, Chris Quinn, Spo [Erik Spoelstra], the front office guys; we are all good in Miami. Just an opportunity for both sides to reset, get a fresh start, and both are super happy with this,” he said when asked if it was awkward on seeing his former Miami Heat teammates.
“An organization like Miami, they want championships, they play for championships. It’s part of the business. I know how good I am, what I am capable of. I just got to continue to keep working and try to stay healthy and represent this new team how I am supposed to,” he added.
ESPN first reported details of the altercation. According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the exchange between the two players took place at a practice court in Las Vegas on Friday morning.
“The altercation occurred at a practice court in a Las Vegas hotel this morning, sources said — starting when Adebayo approached Herro about comments the guard made critiquing the center on social media after their seven-year run in Miami ended,” wrote Charania.
Meanwhile, the person who spoke with the Associated Press said one of the factors related to the altercation was that Herro had evidently made some critical comments about Adebayo – and the three-year, $166 million extension that Miami gave him in 2024.
Herro is believed to have made those comments in direct messages to someone on social media, and screenshots of those conversations eventually went public.