Bam Adebayo said Thursday that LaMelo Ball has not apologized after the second-quarter play that sent the Miami Heat center out of Tuesday’s 127-126 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Adebayo said he is still walking and “OK,” but he made clear he wants the incident addressed as more than a routine basketball moment.
The play came when Ball drove the lane, was knocked to the ground as he put the ball in the air and then watched the ball deflect to Adebayo, who tried to catch it and stay in bounds. Ball appeared to swipe at Adebayo’s leg as the Heat center made the catch, and Adebayo fell to the floor and left the game with a back injury. No foul was called.
Adebayo said the officials handled it “by the rule book,” but argued plays involving a “hostile act” should be reviewable after the fact. He also said Ball has not reached out yet, though he expects a conversation when they see each other again. “I want it to be out there,” Adebayo said. “At some point I’ll see him again and we’ll have that conversation.”
The NBA reviewed the incident and fined Ball $35,000 for his actions, then added a separate $25,000 penalty for profanity during a post-game interview. Adebayo said the $60,000 total would not mean much to a player making about $30 million a year, and he did not sound convinced the punishment changes Ball’s behavior. “I think LaMelo’s just going to see it as another game,” he said.
That leaves the league in the same place it often lands after a fast, physical play: a penalty on paper, but no guarantee the matter is settled where it counts. Spoelstra called it a “dangerous play” after the game, while on Thursday he said he did not think the NBA needed to take further action and did not view Ball as a dirty player. Adebayo was also told Thursday about a 2024 video involving Ball in a similar situation, and he said only Ball knows whether the play was dirty. “Nobody is going to know the truth but LaMelo if it was dirty or not,” he said.
