Erik Spoelstra praises Bam Adebayo’s leadership despite struggles in 2024-25 season

The Miami Heat spent a very brief time in the 2025 NBA Playoffs after they won their way to the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference through the play-in tournament. Miami was dominated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, as it was swept and three of its four losses were by more than 20 points.

Before the Miami’s underwhelming playoff stint, its 2024-25 regular season was blemished by a 10-game losing streak — the longest losing streak since Erik Spoelstra took over as the team’s head coach — and an ugly exit from forward Jimmy Butler.

But Spoelstra praised Bam Adebayo for his job leading the Heat through a season that probably didn’t pan out the way they wanted it to.

“I love seeing his leadership feet put to the fire, and that’s what it was,” Spoelstra said. “He’s accepted the captainship, for sure. But it’s one thing to do that when things are going well and you’re playing well. At the beginning of the year we weren’t playing well and he wasn’t playing his best basketball, and yet he was still rolling up his sleeves and leading.

“I thought that was a big step for him. There’s a lot of guys in this league that wouldn’t do that, that would love to blame and point fingers and all that.”

He also claimed that Adebayo stepped his game up on and off the court when the team was reeling in the month of March.

“And then he did the same thing when everybody was looking for somebody in the locker room in March,” Spoelstra said. “That’s when he was his strongest, and I think that’s when he was playing his best, as well, and that speaks to his character.

“We’ll need a whole lot more of it going forward. I learned a lot going through this experience. Bam learned a lot. And I think he’s going to be better for it, his leadership and his influence.”

Adebayo did indeed have a very productive March, even if the Heat didn’t from a collective standpoint. In the month, he averaged 20.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He also showed off his growth as a 3-point shooter in that stretch, as he shot 39.6 percent from deep on 3.1 attempts per contest.

The former University of Kentucky star is still years away from his 30th birthday, yet he’s already one of the most accomplished and longest-tenured players in team history. First off, he’s played eight seasons with the Heat now, and only four players — Keith Askins, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem — have suited up in more for Miami.

Furthermore, he’s a three-time All-Star and has been selected to one of the All-Defensive teams five times. Most recently, he earned an All-Defensive First Team appearance and finished third in the league’s Defensive Player of the Year voting in the 2023-24 campaign.

For as woeful as the 2024-25 campaign was for Miami, Adebayo’s leadership proved to be a bright spot, and perhaps he will be playing for a contending Heat team again soon. Miami has done a great job of staying competitive since Spoelstra has led the team.