Wade says Heat buzz back after Adebayo’s historic night: ‘I wish I was in Miami right now’
The greatest player in Miami Heat history had plenty to say about the greatest scoring performance in Heat history and one of the top scoring performances in NBA history.
With Heat center Bam Adebayo becoming the talk of the sports world following his historic 83-point outburst in Tuesday’s home win over the Washington Wizards, Wade went on his own show Wednesday and praised his former Heat teammate and friend for producing the second-highest scoring individual performance in NBA history. Only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game on March 2, 1962, is ahead of Adebayo in the NBA record books.
“I want to give Bam love for putting his family’s last name in the history books, like forever,” Wade said on his show, “WY Network by Dwyane Wade.” “It’s stamped. No matter what the conversation is around the 83 points, from this conversation forward, his family’s last name, which no one at some point in life cared about outside of his family, is now in the history books. And they always got to talk about it. And they always got to mention it. So shout out to you, Bam Adebayo, for making sure that your family’s name is forever talked about. That’s legacy.”
Wade, who has been retired since the end of the 2018-19 season, might have helped fuel Adebayo’s historic night during a podcast discussion with former Heat teammate Shaquille O’Neal when he cited the lack of buzz in Miami surrounding the Heat.
“The city needs to be woken up. It’s not alive no more,” Wade said during the session taped prior to Adebayo’s 83-point display. “When we was here, it was buzzing in these streets. I’ve been here the last couple days, and ain’t nothing buzzing outside. I thought I was about to stay here, but I’m leaving because ain’t no energy here. “This city needs that person who can bring that energy. When Shaq came, the culture here shifted. When LeBron and them came, I felt the buzz. I’ve been here the last couple of days, and I’m sleepy.”
When discussing Adebayo’s historic night after Tuesday’s victory, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, unprompted, brought up those comments from Wade.
“I know that clip has been floating around out there, but Dwyane said there’s not a buzz about the Miami Heat,” Spoelstra said. “Well, you know, we feel a certain way about that. Dwyane is one of our own, so I love you Dwyane. But that also serves as motivation to all of us. But again, more so to Bam than probably anyone.”
When asked how much he took Wade’s comments to heart, Adebayo grinned and took a playful shot at his friend.
“First of all, this man talking about no buzz and you want to be out. He’s 45,” Adebayo said Tuesday night. “Take your a-- in the house. But he’s just ... I don’t know what he’s trying to do, actually. I don’t know if he’s trying to rile us up. He got to understand we went through COVID. It’s a different time. But all that said, I feel like it’s a lot of buzz tonight. Not only here, but in the association.”
Wade, whose jersey is retired by the Heat and whose statue is the lone one in front of the Heat’s home arena, says he will continue to hold the organization to a high standard, though. And he will continue to be outspoken about it.
Drafted by Miami with the fifth overall pick in 2003, Wade is the Heat’s all-time leader in categories like points, games played, minutes played, assists and steals and is considered one of the top shooting guards in NBA history. Among his most impressive accomplishments: three championships with the Heat (2006, 2012, 2013), a Finals MVP award in 2006 and an NBA scoring title in the 2008-09 season.
“If the Miami Heat don’t want me to have standards on the players, that’s on them. I will have it,” Wade, 44, made clear. “I will always have a standard for the organization, whether I’m a part of organization, whether I’m allowed in the doors, whether I’m never allowed in the doors because I gave so much to the organization. I have a lot less millions in my account for that organization. I have a lot less stats on the board because I gave up what was individual for what was pushed on us as a standard, as a culture and what we about.
“And so if we about that, then I’m going to hold us to that standard. And so my standard isn’t play-in. That’s not my standard. I understand a year or two. But I don’t want to be in there too long. That’s not my standard. That may be somebody else’s standard.”
The Heat, which has needed to qualify for the playoffs through the NBA’s play-in tournament in each of the last three seasons, is hoping to avoid the play-in for the first time in four years this season.
The Heat entered Thursday night’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 16 regular-season games to play. With the NBA’s play-in tournament featuring the seventh-through-10th-place teams competing for the final two playoff seeds in each conference, the Heat needs to finish among the East’s top six teams to clinch a playoff spot and avoid the play-in tournament.
“Sometimes you’re going to say things that people ain’t going to love and people ain’t going to like,” Wade continued. “Sometimes you’re going to say things that people need to hear from people they respect and that they love. This is my organization. We’re going to always battle back and forth between what they believe and what I believe, because I believe in [championships]. That’s what I believe in.”
Adebayo has already played in two NBA Finals, but has yet to win an NBA championship during his career. Wade wants Adebayo to join the group of Heat greats who have won a title with the organization.
“I believe in this and I want to see Bam get this,” Wade said, pointing to a Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. “I know he’s been close, but I want to see him get this. Just like [Alonzo Mourning], just like [Udonis Haslem], just like myself. We all got that. And I want to see Bam get that. So I’m going to be on Bamonte’s a--. I’m on you, Bamonte. Bamonte, I’m on you.
“But that’s my little brother, man. I’m proud of him. I know it’s been a lot of nights and days that he’s been confused about his role. His opportunities don’t look the same every night. I know it ain’t easy. But what you’re trying to accomplish will never be easy.”
For now, though, the buzz is back in Miami after Adebayo’s memorable performance.
“I wish I was in Miami right now,” Wade said. “The buzz is back in the city. Let’s go. Let’s go.”
