The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs met for a preseason clash on Tuesday, and it gave star bigs Victor Wembanyama and Bam Adebayo a chance to share the floor.
After the game, Wembanyama had nothing but good things to say about Adebayo.
Asked Wemby about Bam:
“He’s been up there as one of the best players for a while. Also a guy I’ve watched on TV.” pic.twitter.com/KnWxzFSxNl
— Brady Hawk (@BradyHawk305) October 16, 2024
Between the two, Adebayo is a more established star at the NBA level, but Wembanyama took the league by storm in his rookie campaign.
In the 2023-24 season, the Spurs phenom averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. He ran away with the Rookie of the Year award, was named to the All-Defensive First Team and made a run at the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Adebayo, for his part, earned his third All-Star selection last season. He was also named to the All-Defensive First Team, and he finished one spot behind Wembanyama in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Adebayo and Wembanyama have some similarities in their games, and their defensive dominance is certainly one of them. The two players could end up competing for Defensive Player of the Year honors on a regular basis as their NBA careers continue.
The next step for Wembanyama in his NBA journey may be to help the Spurs become a winning team. They won just 22 games last season and haven’t tasted the playoffs since 2019, something that Wembanyama would undoubtedly like to change.
Adebayo, for his part, has helped the Heat have some truly special seasons during his time with the franchise. Miami has reached the NBA Finals twice with Adebayo, and he’s certainly hoping that there will be more trips to that stage in the future. Of course, the ultimate goal is to get there and win it all, something the 27-year-old hasn’t accomplished yet.
The Heat and Spurs will play twice in the 2024-25 regular season, so there will be more chances to see Wembanyama and Adebayo on the floor together. They represent part of a bright future in the NBA, and it seems like there’s respect between them. The Heat-Spurs games will come in January and February.
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