The Miami Heat have been one of the most successful teams in the NBA over the past half-decade, with Jimmy Butler and company having a lot of success during the NBA playoffs.
Despite the team’s success over the years, with two NBA Finals appearances and three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, star Bam Adebayo believes that the Heat still don’t get the respect they deserve.
Adebayo recently vented his frustration on “Playmaker” about the fact that his team gets disrespected every single year regardless of how successful they’ve been, via NBACentral.
Bam Adebayo says the Heat deserves more respect
“We’ve been to two finals in the last four years. We’ve been to three eastern conference finals in the last four years, and I don’t think anybody else in the east has done that in the last four years. And we’re doing it with 60%… pic.twitter.com/CRQA7pLPDA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 15, 2023
As Adebayo says, the Heat are always labeled the “dark horse” in the Eastern Conference, even though the team has the track record and culture that proves the doubters wrong on an annual basis.
The craziest part of what Adebayo pointed out is that the Heat’s roster is comprised of a lot of undrafted players, which he said is at 60%, which may be a stretch, but Miami has been incredible at getting the most out of any player that comes through the organization.
The fact that the Heat can turn undrafted players into legitimate starters or valuable role players year in and year out is impressive, to say the least, and an indication of how well the franchise is run and coached.
Although Adebayo is clearly sick of being labeled the underdog every year in Miami, as he wants the team to get some respect, it seems as though the franchise flourishes when underestimated, and that’s something it should continue to embrace.
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