Bam Adebayo was beyond brilliant defensively last season, which prompted many to put his name forth for the DPOY award. However, in the end, it was Rudy Gobert who won it, with NBA Insider Shams Charania voting for him, something he revealed to Udonis Haslem recently. And in response, the Heat couldn’t help but feel incredibly negative about the ordeal.
Advertisement
Haslem has always been a heavy supporter of his former teammates, perhaps even more so after he retired from the NBA. So, he was always going to pick Adebayo to win the Defensive Player of the Year. However, to be fair to him, his reasoning does seem to make sense.
He didn’t say too much about the topic. He simply asked Shams which other center in the NBA could be picked to guard the likes of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown effectively. He said,
“Who the f*** you know at the 5 that can start the game off on Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum. We started Bam on JB in one game, and JT in the playoffs. Name another 5 that does that”
Shams admits he voted for Rudy Gobert for DPOY over Bam
UD response: Who the f*** you know at the 5 that can start the game off on Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum. We started Bam on JB in one game, and JT in the playoffs. Name another 5 that does that”
(Via @theOGsShow) 🗣️🎯 pic.twitter.com/Vm79ca0HKP
— Emo Jimmy (@HeatCulture13) July 30, 2024
Haslem’s irritation is most certainly understandable. While Gobert is a very good rim protector, his defensive prowess doesn’t quite hold up on the perimeter. In stark contrast, Adebayo has looked great at the rim, as well as the perimeter.
With his talents being more versatile than his French counterpart’s, it would be justified for Adebayo to feel he deserved DPOY. And indeed, during a recent interview, he did admit he felt a certain way about it.
Adebayo speaks on not winning DPOY
After he was selected to the 2023-24 NBA season’s All-Defensive First Team, the Heat center sat down for an interview with a plethora of reporters.
During this time, he was asked about not winning DPOY. And while he stayed a bit diplomatic with his words, he chose not to hide his feelings completely. Per the Miami Heat, this is what he said,
“I can’t be disappointed because I didn’t vote. It is what it is. I don’t control that part. For me, in my eyes, I always feel like I’m defensive player of the year.”
After he said that he wasn’t the one voting, he shot a bit of a cheeky smile at the camera. Perhaps the intention was to subtly question the voters’ choices for the award. Or perhaps he just found it amusing.
Given the character that Bam Adebayo is, it really could be either one.
