Bam Adebayo almost had the first 20-rebound triple-double in Miami Heat history. One could even argue that he did, and then the NBA spoiled it.
The league reviews every stat from each contest, which frequently leads to tweaks during and, in this case, after games. The 26-year-old initially had 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in the Heat’s 108-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. But the NBA later rescinded one of Adebayo’s rebounds.
During the play, Adebayo blocked Lakers forward Cam Reddish’s shot, but it looks like the ball was ultimately secured by teammate Duncan Robinson, who gained the rebound after the league’s review.
Adebayo seemingly noticed the change to his stat line on Wednesday:
Welp 22, 19, 10 Since @NBA Wants To Take My Rebound 🤷🏾♂️….
— 13am Adebayo💥 (@Bam1of1) November 8, 2023
“It’s whatever,” Adebayo told reporters before Wednesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, via the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I’ve seen a lot of dudes get their stats padded, and nobody bats an eye. But it’s all good. I’ll do it again.”
Head coach Erik Spoelstra had more words about the league’s decision than his star big man.
“I didn’t hear about it until we got on the airplane [Tuesday], and my first reaction was, ‘That’s a buzzkill,’” he said. “Come on. He was doing a big-muscle workout on the glass. Let it go.”
Questioning whether the league ruled it a tip, Spoelstra added that Adebayo had 20 rebounds in his book.
The two-time All-Star still comes away with a triple-double. It’s the sixth of his career in the regular season — seventh if including playoff games. Adebayo joins Lamar Odom as the only other player in Heat history to record 19 rebounds as part of a triple-double. The retired star had 30 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists in Miami’s 102-96 win over Sacramento on March 6, 2004.
Adebayo is also the third Heat player to record a triple-double with at least 20 points and 15 rebounds, in company with Odom and Jimmy Butler (2019).